Those Who Dance in the Moonlight: A NarutoxFate Story
by Sierra.BN312
Summary: This isn't a story about a boy becoming Hokage. Neither is it a story about battles over a cup that grants wishes. This is a story about someone from a world, stranded in another that is not his own, but merely trying to reclaim that which he loves: his family.
1. Prologue: The Dead Apsotle

**_READ THE AN'S BEFORE YOU GET STARTED ON A NEW CHAPTER PLEASE._**

**Fate/stay night.**

**That's where it all began with this series. A visual novel that went into 3 different directions depending on your choices, and one that was well crafted, leaving a long-standing legacy with a sequel, a prequel, several spin-offs as well as anime serializations, films and other various video games.**

**The franchise has its high and low points, but I digress as it opened me up to something truly amazing. It wasn't until my friend on here SliferMK2 really started getting me into the TYPE-MOON lore that I realized that the Fate anime's and manga's that I had been watching & reading was just the tip of the iceberg. Tsukihime, Melty Blood, Kara no Kyoukai (Garden of Sinners), Notes, Lord El-Melloi II Case Files (Which also got an anime now!); the list goes on and on.**

**But what I certainly noticed in many things whether it be the anime, manga or games, was that there was always a character, or at least a piece of one character within that series: Saber, aka Arturia Pendragon: The King of Knights and King of Camelot.**

**She is such a tragic character, and her tale is one to take lessons from, but also in a way, something that inspired many to make her tale of Camelot as something akin to a dream of building a bright future where people could live in peace, with just leaders and just laws to guide them, and defend them from the darkness of the world that threatened them.**

**As I read her backstory, the more I felt that she had been dealt a bad hand in life being forced to take up the burden of kingship at such a young age and unable to truly enjoy life and all the joys it held for her. For those of you who have seen the original Fate/stay night(2006) series, her ending while more peaceful than before is still bittersweet :'( . Her ending in Unlimited Blade Works, was one of two things to which I much preferred the Good Ending (Sunny Day) as opposed to the True Ending. And Heaven's Feel… poor Arturia… there could've…! *SIGH***

**Nonetheless, the Secret Ending of Fate/stay night (Last Episode) was something that warmed my heart with Arturia finding happiness in the afterlife.**

**There was a Naruto crossover story called "Heaven's Feeling", a one-shot per say of Naruto finding himself in her service as a knight not long after she formed the Knights of the Round Table, leading up somethings that led them to have a child together and she was resurrected centuries afterwards to reunite with them.**

**This really made me want to do something else like it, and with a lot of help from SliferMK2 (again props to him for all the help he's put in to aid me in this story as well as many others), this story sprung up. This will take place within the Fate universe, but it will have elements and characters from other various works of TYPE-MOON. Now I know some of you will immediately site Nasu and his "Tsukihime stuff can't happen in Fate Worlds" rhetoric but he and a lot of other TYPE-MOON writing staff break and contradict their own rules all the time and then hand wave it away.**

**I mean the opening panel of Prisma Illya literally says "We've really messed around with canon but don't say anything about the changes." So to cut a long story short I am using elements from all across TYPE-MOON in an effort to make a better story, not to spit in Canon lover's faces.**

**I'm gonna apologize ahead of time as parts of Type-Moon I'm still unfamiliar with, but I will do my best to try and make this story as good as I can.**

**And thus, I introduce you all to…**

**Those Who Dance in the Moonlight: A NarutoxFate Story**

* * *

Prologue – The Dead Apostle

_"You know with that broadsword of yours my king, you're at a severe disadvantage if the opponent gets close to you like this."_

_"Then… would you please instruct me in the ways of defending myself from these fighting styles?"_

_"I would be honored to do so. But…! I have but one mandate. You must listen to all of what I have to say as I teach you and pay heed to it. You never know when you'll need it one day."_

_"I will make every ounce of effort to do so. And, Naruto if I may say this. I am glad we met on that cloudy day upon a sun baked field."_

_"…t-thank you, my King. I—"_

_"Naruto! As your King, I do appreciate that you show respect to me, but right now, it is simply you and I. Whenever we're alone like this, then you may call me Arturia."_

_"I… I'm glad we can address each other like this."_

_"Now, let us begin before hunger takes us both!"_

_"As you say, Arturia… 'Hunger is the enemy!'."_

* * *

-Now, 1993-

Naruto awakened from his sleep with drowsy eyes as the sun began to shine through the windows of his bedroom. While you would never go as far as to call him an early riser, Naruto always seemed to find himself waking earlier than he would of liked regardless of the flaming ball of plasma hanging in the sky.

He really should've gotten some black curtains to block it out.

Taking a look at his alarm clock, he saw that it was an hour 'till noon. "Ugh... Rocco's gonna kill me…" the blonde grumbled out before looking around the quickly lite room of his home away from home. He was in his workshop doing overtime for his pet project, and turned in a little too late last night, "I wonder what kiddo is doing right now?" Deciding to finally get out of bed, Naruto went to the adjoining bathroom to get ready for the rest of the day.

Turning the light on, he was met by the visage of red eyes that he received not long after arriving here: the eyes that one would receive when they became a Dead Apostle.

A vampire.

That's right. Naruto Uzu-fucking-maki, had become a vampire, or Dead Apostle as apparently the term 'vampire' was used as a broad term to describe those that sucked blood to extend their lifespan. While he himself was fangless, he had only turned one other person into a being similar to himself to save her life. The odd thing was he had never felt a thirst for blood, though the mystery had been solved once he was made aware of his origin.

Either way, he never indulged, or felt the need to suck the blood of others. Something he prided himself on. Looking at the red eyes in their sockets, and the Command Seals **(1)** on his left hand, memories of Team Seven's battle with Kaguya swam to the surface, "Sasuke..."

_"Sorry, Naruto…"_

_"…Sasuke?"_

_"But I can't let you stop what comes next."_

* * *

-381 AD-

Naruto was struggling to keep going, having been pushed to the brink. Even his Six Paths Mode has been exhausted, as trace amounts of it still clung to his body. Everything hurt from the tips of his toes to the ends of his hair was utterly throbbing with mind numbing pain that rivaled a dip in acid. What kind of monster was this? Naruto had fought demons and gods but this... THING that wore the shape of a man made them all seem like children in the face of... inevitability.

"You know, you're not bad. If you had really been at full power, you might've been able to put me in a bad position. Then again, I'm hardly going all out either." The voice of Naruto's opponent spoke up.

Naruto's forehead was bleeding, and the blood dripping down obscured his vision, leaving him to only make out the silhouette of the being he had been fighting. Naruto had been stuck in this strange new land for about a year now, trying to gain information in an attempt to go home. But then one evening as the sun dipped below the horizon of the western continent, he appeared. He had come to simply challenge Naruto to a fight after sensing his power, and while Naruto knew that he wasn't at full strength having been betrayed by Sasuke, he felt that he didn't exactly have a choice but to combat this man.

He had used everything, peerless Taijutsu, Ninjutsu that could only ever be considered as forbidden and even the various transformations he had attained in his long quest. None worked. The man simply dodged, withstood or smacked aside attacks that would have made Madara Uchiha quiver in fear, all the time with an interested look in his eye. If Naruto still held the immaturity of his younger self he would have called it an unfair fight. He would have sited not yet being fully restored, that he was fighting an unconventional opponent and the World itself was actively attempting to crush him away the higher he pushed his power. But Naruto knew deep down that even if all these problems had been fixed this thing would still likely be his end.

With the Shinigami seemingly sitting on his shoulder Naruto had put absolutely everything into an attack. His chakra supply, Senjutsu, Six Path Senjutsu and whatever Kurama had left. Giving it his all, his last Jutsu; the Tailed Beast Rasenshuriken was fired at the man with a speed that Naruto himself could barely track. An attack that was capable of destabilizing Kaguya's entire body… barely scratched his opponents arm.

The response had been Naruto's opponent raising said scorched arm with a two word announcement, a single whisper that carried over the land; causing a spear of wind as long as the Shinju Tree had been tall to phase into existence. The blond couldn't dodge, even if he could see it coming he was simply too tired and too slow. The lance had struck him into the dirt before it carved a massive canyon that stretched for almost 300 miles.

"Oddities and contradictions. Uniqueness and outward thought, these things are what fascinated me about this world." The man spoke as if discussing the weather. "When I headed the call of Gaia all those years ago I never would have thought that something like you could occur. You clearly hold divinity within your body, yet the Age of God's has been over for nearly four hundred years. Gaia attempts to expunge you as she would an invader yet coddles you for being able to use her power, art thou a denizen of some parallel world?"

"Well, either way, I'm curious as to what your future holds. But given how little you were able to do against me; I suppose I can leave you with a gift." Naruto turned to see the silhouette behind him.

"What… gift…?"

"This."

The next thing Naruto knew, was that the man bit down onto the crook of his neck and he felt his blood being sucked from him for an instant, "GHAAAAH!" The pain began to intensify as he felt the man's teeth leave the crook as Naruto clutched the wound and writhed in pain.

He began to scream and grunt in pain, as Naruto felt something course through his body. Kurama was unable to do anything as despite still having him within his body… whatever Sasuke did to send him here had left the fox in a 'chibi' form with much of his power drained, and severing the vocal link they had, but he knew the fox was trying to stave off whatever was going on in his body.

But it was too late. It wasn't so much of an infection as it was his body being overwritten into something of this new world.

"You'll thank me when all is said and done, have a good evening. Oh, and welcome Number Seven." The victor stated nonchalantly before turning on his heel to leave.

Naruto wasn't going to forget this jackass, "H-Hey! You b-bastard! Who… ugh! WHO ARE YOU?!" All he could make out was that the man turned to face him, and saw his blood red eyes.

"I'm Brunestud of the Crimson Moon. Have a pleasant eternity, young man."

On that day, Naruto had not felt pain like this before, as he eventually passed out with darkness eventually rolling over the day, turning into the night.

* * *

-Now-

Finishing up in the bathroom, he began to get ready for the day and prepare for the coming events within a few years. Getting dressed in a plain orange t-shirt and black pants, Naruto went over to his desk where he had a few letters among other things laying with stuff from the association, his friends within it and the newspaper.

He recalled when he first arrived, that a damned annoying voice told him to 'kill all humans', and it irritated him to no ends.

Turns out it was Gaia as he found out later on in life. Upon arriving in this world Naruto had felt a cruising pressure from all sides from the Counter Force. His destructive potential combined with the fact he was an 'alien invader' had prompted the Counter Force to attempt to remove him from existence to save the planet. Naruto had later worked out that Kurama had received the same treatment leading to his drastically reduced size. He had activated Sage Mode to strengthen his body enough to withstand the pressure but the moment he did the pressure... ceased.

While it was still debated as to weather the Counter Force was truly sentient or just a defense mechanism, the sentience of the planet, Gaia, had observed him becoming one with nature and began to treat him as it would an extension of its will, like an Elemental or Lesser Fae.

Though apparently, she didn't try to kill him for some reason despite the fact that he wouldn't do her bidding. He chalked it up to his own affinity for Senjutsu and special connection with nature, but whatever.

Naruto turned to the handmade portrait **(2) **on the edge of his desk with the painting of _her _within it. He had seen various depictions of her over the centuries, but they never could capture her image properly and they all lacked one thing that he added to this one when he made it: a small, but gentle and loving smile.

**_"It won't be long now, you know."_** Naruto's gaze passed to a box on the other side of the room.

_"Yeah…"_

"I'll see you again, soon…"

* * *

-467 AD-

It had been a little over 80 years since he had turned. And Naruto found that he would never age. He would regenerate from any wound received with ease to the point he was no longer sure if he was 'healing' or if time was regressing back to the point prior to damage. He was part of the group of beings called vampires: bloodsuckers. He hated what he had been turned into, to not be able to walk into a village for fear of people running in fear or priests taking up arms against him.

However, this gave him the time to get stronger and recover the power he lost previously when he arrived here. There were quite a few caveats but he had gotten used to them.

But… he never once felt the urge to bite anyone. Even when he saw blood, that supposed urge that he heard that vampires had for it, never overcame him. In fact, he'd be repulsed if he had to suck someone's blood to survive.

Naruto crossed paths with two of those that served Brunestud: Merem and Blackmore. He had become numb to their lectures on how he should give praise to the Crimson Moon that had 'sired him' They annoyed him more than anything else really, but they would put up a good fight. It wasn't until he made it in time to see Brunestud get struck down by a very weird man.

Naruto could say without any shadow of a doubt that Brunestud, the King of Vampires, and Ultimate One of the Moon was a person beyond him. Even with all his old power and those he had developed as a Dead Apostle he doubted that he would come out victorious if they were to clash again. So when he saw what appeared to be a regular human pushing Brunestud to the brink he was unsure of what to think.

A young man of black hair and brown eyes was manipulating the power of space-time in ways that would've made his dad and Obito green with envy. True Magic, a power that defies sense. Naruto had watched how the young man, empowered perhaps by the Counter Force had lay waste to any obstacle in his path in the pursuit of defeating TYPE-MOON, Naruto would have joined him if Blackmore and Merem had not rushed to their Master's aid to hold him back.

Naruto could still remember vividly the scene of Brunestud throwing the literal moon at the young man... though what he remembered more was the young man using True Magic to throw it right back. Brunestud had got a bite in just before perishing, turning the young man into an old man with hair of grey and eyes of red.

Said man was walking alongside him right now in fact…

"Hey! What's with that look, Fishcake? You do know we're heading to the gathering right?" Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg. Clad in robes of black and dark green, the 'old man of gems' clutched a cane in his gloved hands, topped by a ruby that sat right on the border between tasteful and ostentatiously large.

The man that killed Brunestud, someone that Naruto wanted to have a rematch against, but was too late having to deal with the bastard's lackeys. Turns out, Zelretch had a prankster mentality that was exacerbated by the Second Magic, which arguably made the old man a giant troll, even by Naruto's standards of trolling that spoke a lot. He befriended the magician shortly after and told him of trying to get back to his home dimension, or rather reality as he was told by Zelretch.

And while Zelretch can apparently cross between realities, trying to find a specific one can be extremely difficult as there's simply too many to count. Thus, Naruto was forced to accept that it'd be a long time before he could get home, if it was even possible at such a point given that there was no telling where or when his reality could be.

His eyebrow twitched at the name that people always got wrong and he'd correct them… _**"Not that the old crotchety man would stop."**_ That was another thing. Kurama was reduced to the size of a chibi in an effort to save Naruto when they were forced into this world. While his size was reduced, his power had gone down a margin, but the decades spent trying to recover had allowed him to recover at least half of the power he once held, although the size was still a problem for Kurama.

_"Yeah, and a chibi fox commenting on it doesn't help."_

_**"Why you little shit."**_

He hated being called a chibi. Speaking frankly Naruto actually had no idea how old Zelretch was, because while he had seen him aged into oblivion after being bitten by Crimson Moon the amount of time that Zelretch spent outside of the traditional time axis was abstract, for all Naruto knew it could have been a thousand years for him since they last spoke. To avoid headaches of existential proportions Naruto simply thought of the Second Magician as an old man.

Naruto looked to the man with annoyance, "I would say that it means Maelstrom—"

"Which you just did." Zelretch bit back, smirking at him.

"—but considering where we're heading to—"

"And you might get lucky with a woman."

A tick mark appeared on Naruto's forehead, "—no comment—It'd be a whole lot better if you didn't immediately ruin any cred I'd get here. If that's even possible." When Zelretch killed Brunestud and his corpse vanished -with it somehow going to the moon and it turned red for an instant before returning to the white that it normally was- the magician had become number Four of the Twenty Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors. He went on to explain the whole business of what it all meant and while it mostly just went in one ear, and out the other, Naruto realized that Brunestud had made him Number Seven that day when he told him.

Zelretch 'lightly' patted him on the back before speaking again, "Well you are the Number Seven. That's enough cred right there. People here will know you've got enough bite to back up the bark, and they won't screw with unless you do the screwing first. Though that may not be too hard with some women—"

"I'M NOT GONNA BONE SOME RANDOM CHICK, DAMMIT!" Naruto took a swipe at the old man, but he vanished before the fist could land a hit, with Zelretch merely tapping him on the shoulder with his cane.

"You know, one could be more grateful for bringing a brat into a nice social gathering like this. I mean, I could've just up and left ya back on the other side of the world." Naruto turned to see Zelretch with a mock expression of hurt, "Oh the young these days, they never seem to give the elderly any respect or good manners."

One of the many caveats of being a Dead Apostle was that certain things were a lot harder to get used to, his chakra circulatory system acted as Magic Circuits of high number and quality. But unfortunately not many people would willingly teach him Magecraft due to fear of him biting them. Traveling long distance was annoying as hell as Gaia had massively reduced the range of Hiraishin. The first time Naruto attempted to cross a river he had nearly passed out and drowned because Apostle's have an aversion to crossing running water.

It had taken twenty five years for his body to adjust enough to water walk and properly swim again but traveling from one side of the earth to the other was for the moment impossible without the troll's aid.

Naruto just thought it'd be stupid to not accept his invitation to get to where actual civilization was at, though he was hoping they'd at least have some indoor plumbing or ramen. Sad to say, Zelretch said neither one existed right now…

…the horror…

Zelretch's expression shifted to seriousness as they approached a large cathedral with two men standing guard, "Well, it looks like we're here, kid." Naruto turned to see that both men were actually humans going by their eyes.

"What's with these guys standing guard?" Naruto murmured to himself mostly, though Zelretch caught it.

"Probably familiars. They serve long enough and stay loyal enough, they'll get turned by their master." Naruto had found out that ethereal beings did in fact exist in this world, and they could at times take physical form. But he didn't think that people would willingly offer themselves up like that. Naruto guessed that they got talked into the role, and saw the pros outweigh the cons.

Both men looked at Naruto and Zelretch, eyeing them closely to see if they were either familiars, or actually part of the gathering taking place inside the large 'church' if it could be called that from what Naruto saw. It was old and decrepit, with bits and pieces falling off the building, but the feeling of an intangible barrier let Naruto know that a Bounded Field had been set up to make the building look completely abandoned. The guards opened the gate and let the two Dead Apostles through not saying a word. Whether it was out of respect, or fear, Naruto couldn't tell since they looked like statues.

The duo eventually reached the main door with Zelretch taking the lead inside as Naruto followed the older man, taking in the sight of many people, all of which were Dead Apostles or True Ancestors going by their blood red eyes, just like his own. The interior of the former church was drastically different with exquisite decorations and furniture set up, with fire in vases lighting up the place. All of them were conversing with one another, though several glances and face about were thrown their way, no doubt they knew that Naruto and Zelretch were both turned by Brunestud, the top dog around most of the world from what Zelretch told him, that is until the magician 'sent him away'.

"Well, well, well… it looks like people are actually keeping their distance." Zelretch smirked a bit as he turned to Naruto, "Hey, make sure to grab some of the drinks, seriously that wine is to die for in this day and age… or it will be? It's good wine either way. I'm going to go see just who's stupid enough to fall for any of my tricks and have them begging me to show them how I do it." Naruto just arched a brow at the magician, knowing that he was just going to keep making them beg.

Not to say he wouldn't have done the same thing himself, although he wouldn't want to piss off anybody on Brunestud's level, however he wasn't getting that kind of vibe off a lot of the other vampire's here, save for a few. _'Thank god bird boy and rat man aren't skulking around…'_ Naruto thought seeing no sign of Merem or Blackmore. Naruto mainly stuck to the shadows of the gathering, eventually going out to one of the balconies to look over the forested landscape below. Then he felt one of said vampire's approaching him with a signature very much like Brunestud's.

"Hello." A young feminine voice cut his thoughts as he turned to see the source. She couldn't have been more than 14 years old... physically speaking. Lucius black hair that gleamed as crow feathers do cascaded in an inky waterfall down to the middle of her thighs. Clad in an off the shoulder black dress that billowed out like a bell, concealing her legs and feet while both arms were clad in richly tailored silk opera gloves. In summary she was the image of noble adolescent beauty.

_**"You might as well say something back, otherwise you'll insult her."**_ Kurama chided. Naruto would've said something back, though he figured the girl would've gotten rather impatient since she did the courtesy of starting things politely.

"Uhm, hey. I'm Naruto." He didn't know why, but he stretched his hand out for her to take it. Normally Naruto would've assumed being a vampire meant not having any body heat if the stories were true, and since he was a unique case, well he didn't expect her hand to be so warm and full of life.

The girl smiled as she took his hand and shook it briefly before performing a proper curtsy, lifting her dress and crossing her legs, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Naruto. Although don't you have a last name?" Her brow raised inquisitively. Now, Naruto wasn't one to freely give his full name, lest he risk someone with a grudge or wanting to pick a fight with him if only on a whim, like Brunestud.

However, once again his own bit of politeness rose up to act, "Uzumaki actually." Although… "Any chance you can keep that to yourself though? I don't want my name getting passed around so flippantly and people picking a fight over nothing."

The girl giggled slightly at Naruto's awkward expression, finding some joy in how he worded the request, "I won't say anything, although you may be at a disadvantage with some already knowing your name." Naruto could only wonder how, to which the girl was able to read his thoughts if going by his expression of worry, "While people may not know what you look like, they know your name. The one that made that ruckus on the other side of the world when you fought against Brunestud. He bragged how much potential you had when he started telling people how he turned you into Number Seven."

Well, shit…

At least Naruto had some form of anonymity amongst the people here, Great… The girl patted him on the shoulder to put him at ease, "If it's any consolation, no one here will want to challenge you. Given who it is that turned you and the company you keep. Anyways, I'm Number Nine: Altrouge Brunestud, it's a pleasure to meet you," The hairs on the back of Naruto's neck stood up as his eyes widened in surprise.

"You wouldn't happen to be…"

"Related?" The girl, now identifying herself as Altrouge shook her head, "No, not even slightly. The only real reason why I have it is due to compatibility as a potential vessel I am to Brunestud himself. Amongst other reasons…." That made sense in Naruto's mind. He recalled that many ninjas while not related, had the same name only due to their reputations being on the same level.

Sensing that Naruto still was weary of her, Altrouge decided to offer something up, "I'm not here to start trouble, in fact. I'd like to try and help you." Naruto seemed skeptical. Back then, if someone just randomly offered aid in some form or another, they'd be asking for a payment of sorts, whether it be money or a debt that would be paid later on,

"Is there a catch that I'm not seeing?" Naruto didn't want to seem like a dick to this girl, but it was better to be cautious than stupid like he used to be.

Time really made him like this.

Altrouge shook her head, "Nope. No catch at all. Fina-blood," Altrouge snapped her fingers and from behind her emerged a tall Dead Apostle of Balkan features. He presented an object to Altrouge before melting back into the shadows, leaving the two alone. Altrouge held it out for Naruto, "I want to help you out, like I said." Naruto took the item and saw that it was a small block of silvery white metal, however he felt something off with it, as he fiddled with the piece.

"That's a special piece of Mithril mined from lands under my jurisdiction, incredibly rare but durable beyond measure and regarded as the best conductor for Magecraft. I want to help you get stronger. In this world, people like us need to have more strength and peers to keep going, otherwise we get bored and people start dying to sate that boredom." Naruto listened intently as he pocketed the item, "I have heard tale that you wish to take up Magecraft like your friend, Kaleidoscope? But no human was willing to teach you?" Naruto nodded after a few moments thought. "Listen, rumor is that there's a half-Incubus Magus of Flowers that's cropped up in Britain, and you could benefit greatly from his tutelage. While such a thing would not normally be of interest it is said that he possess Clairvoyance, the mark of the greatest Mages from even back in the Age of Gods."

Naruto had been delving into the magecraft when he heard about it in his travels, trying to learn it as he tried to regain his lost power. The practice was certainly less straightforward and mysterious in terms of being recorded. Much like how Ninjutsu was way back in the era of Warring States, in a time when it was still being developed and refined in order to turn the tide in battles. Learning magecraft from someone would certainly benefit him I the long run, and if what Altrouge said was true… then he needed to find this Magus.

"So where is this Britain place? I don't exactly have a map of the world, and the people on the other side more or less just said I should 'go with the wind', whatever the hell that meant." Seriously, if their elders only get high and tell riddles along with stupid sayings like that, they must be some of the most chill people in the world.

Altrouge leaned up against a pillar as she crossed her arms, "You don't have a map of Europa?"

Naruto shook his head, "Nope. The only way I got here was with Zelretch's help. And even then, I never really got a map of the land. I've just been really sticking around the old man, drifting with him."

Naruto had to admit; he was a pretty chill if very… VERY trolly guy. But the man was no doubt a good friend.

Altrouge held her hands apart before a distortion began to form betwixt her palms, "Marble Phantasm", was the simple statement that allowed a mystery of supreme grade to take place. The part of Naruto's mind that was almost constantly connected with the planet via Sage Mode, something that had turned into a minor 'backup' in recent years was able to comprehend that Altrouge was transforming the atmosphere between her hands into matter.

Altrouge smiled once done before she shoved a piece of freshly created parchment into his chest with Naruto taking it: a detailed map of Europa with the borders, land names, mountain ranges, etc. However, he saw that she gave him to pieces of paper. One of Europa, and one of the country that she told him of… Britain.

"No need to thank me, just doing my part as a new friend of yours." Altrouge smiled triumphantly with her eyes closed and arms crossed, as if she just scored a major victory over someone Naruto folded the maps up as he pocketed them away.

"Thanks, now I know where I need to go, and have nice path laid out for me. Now I just need to chart a boat to that place." He couldn't exactly walk from his current place-what would one day become Prague- to britain, he may get there long after this "Magus of the Flowers" had left.

Altrouge pulled up a finger as she spoke up, "Well, that should be easy if you ask Zelretch to just teleport you there, it's well within the bounds of the Operation of Parallel Worlds. No need to chart a boat, as for looking for the magus, well it'll be difficult although the people of Britain know of him and can point you in his direction."

Naruto nodded, seeing that with a reputation like that then it wouldn't be hard to find the man, "Well if the guy isn't moving around too much, I should find him with no problem." He closed his eyes as everything seemed set for him, but when Altrouge didn't say a word, he got the vibe that something was off.

She seemed to fiddle with her hands as she chuckled awkwardly, "Yeah… about that… finding the mage may be harder than you think."

Uh oh.

Naruto was not liking this, "What do you mean?"

"Since the fracturing of the Roman Empire, Britain's been locked in a state of turmoil." Altrouge spoke hesitantly. She saw that Naruto didn't really have a clue what the empire was, but he seemed to understand the gist of what she was saying,

"So since the big man on the throne got whacked off, everyone's carving out a piece of the pie for themselves. Great…" With a country in a state like that, then the odds of finding the mage would go down quite a bit.

However, Altrouge peaked up in happiness, "But! There is a group of people trying to restore order to the country. Not only that, the mage himself is one for such things, and since you yourself are seeking him out, joining the group would be very beneficial for all parties involved there in Britain."

Altrouge was pointing out the common interests they had. The mage was on the side of peace and order. The group most likely had the mage in their company. Naruto needed to find the mage to learn magecraft. Naruto himself had to admit that such a goal of bringing peace to a land in chaos did sound rather nice, to help build and forge a foundation for a society meant for peace and to protect the people was something he wanted to do when he became Hokage. Naruto may have walked this new world for eight decades but the ideal peace of Jiraiya was still in his heart.

It really was a win-win-win for everyone.

And Altrouge giggled as she saw Naruto contemplating everything as he held a hand to his chin with an expression deep in thought.

He had a tendency to look like a 'cutesy foxy' as some girls called him back when he thought about something when he was travelling with Pervy Sage.

"It looks like everything's connecting." Altrouge embraced him as one would a family member, she whispered into his ear, "Make sure that you learn as much as you can; and have some fun, we may live forever, but that doesn't mean we can't find other people outside this world to find happiness with."

Letting him go, Altrouge patted him on the back as the hug ended. Now Naruto had a nice goal to look forward to, "Thank you, Altrouge. Now… where's that old man?"

"I swear, you didn't grab any of the wine?! What did I tell you Whiskers?" Turns out he was right behind the ninja vampire… and with an empty bottle of fine wine… and he looked fucking slammed… "Get the drinks as soon as possible! People would kill for more of this crap! Should have invited Nyarlathotep, that tentacley bastard knows how to have a good time." Naruto was not amused in the slightest,

"You're the one that drank a whole bottle! Looks to me like you just wasted it for nothing!"

Zelretch just waved it off, "Feh, whatever brat." Zelretch glanced briefly at Altrouge before turning his attention back to Naruto with a smirk on his face, "So, you have gotten to second base yet?" Altrouge cocked a brow in curiosity before sighing insufferably, "Making jokes based on information gained from parallel worlds is all well and good except when the butt of the joke lacks context. Grow up Zelretch."

Naruto on the other hand, "So not getting into that right now." He was not amused.

"Party poopers…"

Shaking his head, Naruto went went back to his serious mode, or at least as close as he could get with Zelretch, "Anyways, I actually need you to take me to Britain."

Zelretch arched a brow in curiosity, "What for? That place sucks right now Doctor Who doesn't get made for another one thousand four hundred and ninety six years." Not to mention all Dark Ages countries smelt of a pigsty.

"Because I need to find the Magus that lives there to teach me more about magecraft." The ninja responded.

Zelretch could only put a hand to his heart in mock pain, "Huh? Why didn't you ask me? Hello, Magician of True Magic standing right here! Such a cruel friend."

"Because people would go insane from your teaching methods." Naruto pointed out. He'd be worse than Kakashi-sensei and Pervy Sage put together. "Last time you took a student was thirty six years ago and i found him on the ground saying, quote ""I am never playing Paradox-Billiards-Vostroyan-Roulette-Fourth Dimensional-Hypercube-Chess-Strip poker ever again.""

"Hehe, very true." Zelretch snapped his fingers as a gem appeared in front of Naruto kaleidoscopic power flooded into the gem in the shape of Britain before solidifying into a gem of ever changing color, "Just grab hold of the thing, and you'll be there in an instant." Pretty sure that Zelretch was going to put him in some awkward place when he arrived, Naruto kept his guard up as he ever slowly reached out to grab the rune,

"Thanks ya old bastard."

"Any time…" Just as Naruto grasped the rune, Zelretch kept going, "…Fishcake."

Then the ninja tried in vain to respond, "WHY YO—" Zelretch just chuckled at the ninja's position when he disappeared. Shaking a fist before vanishing into thin air along with the rune. Altrouge giggled at what occurred, though she felt Zelretch's eyes turn to her.

Any sense of the playfulness left his visage as he crossed his arms, "So, why did you approach him of all people?" Altrouge was about to speak that is before Zelretch held a hand up to stop her, "And don't use the excuse of 'making friends'. I know that you lead one of the major factions gathered here today, against Trhvmn Ortenrosse."

Whatever little girl persona that Altrouge held was swept away, as the cold look that graced her features showcased an experienced aristocrat that dominated politics, "It is true, I did approach Naruto in the hopes of gaining him as a member of my faction amongst our kind, however I needed him to gain more power in order showcase that he is not one to be trifled with. At his current level, he would not be strong enough to deal with my opposition. Although I will admit he is a kind individual, and such people are a rare sight."

Altrouge led one of the two factions among the Dead Apostle Ancestors, and despite Trhvmn being the main representative, she actually held more sway than he did. This would put the two at odds with one another as both would eventually try to obtain control over the Dead Apostle Ancestors. Zelretch knew better as soon as he saw the girl talking with the ageless ninja; he would've intervened however he didn't seem to sense any ill intent from Altrouge and decided to let things play. Now he had sent Naruto out to Britain which currently was being fought over by the Saxons from Germainia, the original inhabitants of Britain whom were split under multiple lords saying that they were the rightful king, and those still loyal to the line of Uther Pendragon, and if Altrouge pointed Naruto in the direction of who he thinks it is, then Naruto would no doubt meet _her_ as well.

"That is true. He's a kind young man, that would put his own life on the line for those he cares for." Zelretch recalled a bit of Naruto's own words of his past that he was willing to share with him after they met, and he did admire the boy's beliefs. However, if one were clever enough… like Atrogue… they could manipulate those beliefs to their benefit. But that was only an if, a BIG IF… "However, if you try to use that and lie to the young man. Well… I don't think I need to spell it out for you."

Altrouge nodded as if she knew better. Though Zelretch wasn't sure if she heeded his warning or if she played it off as something that could be dealt with in time, "I'm not foolish. I know a smart man when I see one, and despite what façade Naruto can put up, he hides his true self very well." Altrouge held her hands up in a manner that made it appear as if any worry was for nothing, "I never planned on duping him to begin with. In fact, once he grew strong enough, I planned to extend an invitation to him to join my faction. I prefer it if they come of their own free will rather than coerce them to do so. It's degrading and beneath me. I detest such things." Then Altrouge smiled absently, "Though even if he rejects the offer, it wouldn't be such a bad idea to form a pact of sorts with him for an ally." Then she blushed, "Plus, he does have that cute factor going for him. It wouldn't be so bad to have a little fox around to tease on occasion."

Zelretch just got an idea…

"Oh, so that's what you were really after, eh?" He smirked. Altrouge arched an eyebrow, "Huh?"

"Admit it. You just wanted a kiss from him, didn't you little Altrouge?" Now it was her turn to turn red of embarrassment as she scoffed, an "I did not!" flying from her lips. Altrouge crossed her arms as she went back to socializing with the rest of the guests, leaving the laughing Zelretch to himself.

He moved away from the rest of the guests as he as sat down next to a window with the full moon in full glow tonight. All Zelretch could do now was star up to the sky and wonder to himself, "Naruto… you're on a path that will no doubt make you stronger under Merlin's tutelage. But I can only wonder… will you be able to change her story into one of happiness, when all it does it turn into tragedy and sadness in the end?"

In truth, Zelretch always wanted to see a better end to the story of that king. He felt that such a pure soul was one who needed an ending worthy to her name.

* * *

-Naruto-

"—U DICK!" Naruto had enough of the old troll. He was about to take a swing at Zelretch, but as soon as he touched the gem, he teleported right to his destination. Naruto looked down to see that he teleported right into the air.

In the middle of the night.

Above a farm.

With animals.

"Shit."

Indeed.

Naruto found himself plummeting towards the ground without anything to keep him from falling face first into the pile of shit. Thankfully the years of instinct kicked in as he pulled out his signature Jutsu that he could still use.

_'Shadow Clone Jutsu'_

Making a single Shadow Clone, Naruto used him as a human shield with the intent to not allow a single shred of manure to touch him. Shadow Clones had been hit the hardest by Gaia's hissy fit, where before he could make just shy of one hundred thousand, now he could barely manage three. Anymore and Gaia would drop a metaphysical anvil on it.

Hey, he could care less if his clone was getting it. So long as he didn't. But then again, the feeling of it on him… Naruto shivered a bit.

The Shadow Clone could only grimace as he fell down flat into the pile, with the real Naruto holding him in front for protection. The animals nearby could only moo, squeal, or whatever as he made landfall, with Naruto stepping off the clone followed by jumping the wooden fence to get onto actual dirt.

"Why am I such a fucking asshole?! Why'd you have to use me as a human shield?!" The Shadow Clone was smart enough to close his mouth and eyes, along with clenching his nose shut with an open arm. Getting up to face the original, he tried to shake off what he could but Naruto himself could only hold his laughter in, "Well I—"

"What's all the ruckus at this time in the night?"

A voice cut in as a man with a lantern stepped outside his home, with a wooden axe in hand. Fortunately, the Shadow Clone dispersed as the clouds blocking the moonlight shined down, illuminating Naruto in the night. All in all, he just appeared to be a young boy, lost on the road.

The man squinted his eyes at Naruto, "Young man. Do you realize what time it is right now? And just why are you trying to disturb my animals?" Naruto waved his hands to try and explain with a few white lies of course.

"Oh, uhmm uh… hehehe… well you see I kinda got lost on the road to life."

_**"So~ lame."**_ The fox chimed in.

The man didn't seem convinced in the least, judging from his still questioning expression. Naruto was about to start talking again… that is until a rumbling reverberated through the air… and all he could do was look away in slight embarrassment. The man caught on quickly, "Well if you're looking for a bed and food, I've got some to spare. With the Saxons about I doubt a young man out alone is safe." Ushering Naruto in, the man opened his door with any sense of negativity seemingly evaporated.

The ninja stepped into the man's house and hopefully the guy wouldn't freak out from his eyes.

Normal people had a tendency to scream their heads off when a vampire was in front of them.

Until he found out he could use his own special eye powers like Genjutsu to make people think he was just a normal boy. _"__Mystic Eyes of Enchantment for the win" _he had thought to himself before turning in that evening. A full belly and a warm bed to himself.

Needless to say, Naruto managed to find out the name of both the mage, along with where he was currently residing at. The mage's name was Merlin, and he was at the Forest Sauvage owned by a knight by the name of Ector who served the previous king of Britain. Apparently, there was now a competition being held by multiple lords to finally put an end to the current debate of who will take the throne and retake the lands for the people.

An interesting way to decide their leader, although if simply came down to who was the strongest… well then, the vampires would be in control of matters. So clearly there was something else going on at the congregation.

"Three whole days…" Yes, it took Naruto three days to make the journey to where everyone was at. However, it was not without some trouble. Naruto had come across a few bands of Saxons and bandits making raids on local villages and towns, alongside the aftermaths of said raids. Seeing how many of the bodies belonging to the inhabitants and a few defenders were left to rot, the ninja opted to give them burials as proper as he could since he didn't know any of their names, or the names of where they lived. As for the raiders that fell against the defense, he chose to just pile their corpses and burn them. Better to ensure that disease couldn't spread amongst travelers that had the misfortune of catching the stuff.

Naruto wasn't one to sit by and let things like this occur, but he was no leader to these people. He had dreamt of becoming Hokage for so long… but Sasuke robbed that of him permanently; forcing Naruto to try and find what he wanted now in this new, cursed life of his. If he was being honest with himself, trying to help others wasn't such a bad thing… it eventually turned into trying to create something better for the future and hopefully he could just sit back and enjoy the end result.

Coming up over the hill, Naruto overlooked the homestead where many tents were set up around a makeshift arena with banners held high to showcase the various lords' houses. Many people were just getting the day started with the inhabitants bustling about with armor, food, animals, etc.

It was an overcast day with clouds covering the majority of the sky, the sun occasionally breaking through to cast the odd "god ray" down onto the fields beneath him. Although there was something out away from it all in the middle of a field where it appeared to be a sword jammed into a stone, but… he felt something calling to him, "Do you feel that?"

It was a small stone, barely even a plinth of square white rock that appeared man made more than anything, the sword itself was buried in the stone by maybe five inches.

_**"Barely, what the hell is it?"**_ Kurama piped over the mental link. The fox did feel that something was trying to create a new mental link, however it wasn't quite like what he and Naruto shared. But something similar yet different perhaps?

Naruto concentrated on the source of the call as he made his way downhill to where he confronted the sword in the stone. The overall design of the sword was as if it were made from the finest forgers, meant for one of nobility. A style of straight sword that Naruto knew was common amongst Europa. However, the closer he got to it, was that the metal making up the blade seemed to glow with some internal golden light the closer he got to it.

_Doust thou draw forth myself from the stone?_

It was the sword. The sword was the one calling to him. He heard a small gasp from the bushes, but his focus was purely on the sword itself now after speaking to him.

_Thou are worthy of thyself. Thou are worthy of Caliburn._

So then… the name of it was Caliburn. The sword said that he was worthy to wield it. Naruto grasped the handle to pull it without effort, but suddenly he stopped. It felt… wrong to do this. Immediately the blade jammed inside of the stone, no longer raising another inch as if sensing his hesitation.

_Thou must be no longer human, but inhuman to lead Britain._

"No… I'm not inhuman. I might be a damned vampire, but I'm sure as hell not gonna get rid of what makes me who I am." And that was what made Naruto shove the sword back down into the stone, refusing it entirely now as the blade's light dissipated.

_Thou have refused. Another may yet draw forth Caliburn._

Naruto didn't care, he was not a king. These people didn't know him. Not just that, being a Dead Apostle well he highly doubted they would follow him because of that even if he drew Caliburn. Naruto felt an unusual presence behind him that he wasn't aware of before, and they announced themselves with a single question…

"Oh, you chose to put it back instead? How interesting for one such as yourself."

Naruto turned to the speaker and saw a young man garbed in simple robes that appeared as if they were made of the finest fabrics with his hood up to keep his long silver hair down. The tips of it appeared to catch the light and change colors, along with a few flowers that appeared to be more decoration than hold an actual purpose. His expression was one of curiosity and amusement, but also… expectant?

This was the man he had been searching for, "So, you're Merlin I take it." Merlin's smile didn't disappear as Naruto deduced his identity.

Merlin nodded in response, as he raised a finger, "Indeed I am! Although I believe you have me at a disadvantage… Number Seven." Now it was Naruto's turn to be surprised, but then again if what Altrouge told him of what Merlin's special gift of clairvoyance was true…

"Clairvoyance… you saw this coming, didn't you?" Naruto stated more than asked the flower magus.

Merlin waved a hand in the air nonchalantly as if he were talking about the clouds above them, "I am gifted with clairvoyant sight, and I do glimpse the possible futures. But not all for they hide from my gaze." Merlin's eyes opened to gaze at Naruto, "But enough of this. You came in search of my teachings of the mage arts, did you not?"

Naruto nodded as he started to get down on a knee, hoping that this man would take him as a student. Although Merlin waved him off before speaking again, "Uh, yeah we don't do that here. Besides, I was going to teach you anyways before you started asking."

Now Naruto was confused by this, "Ok I wasn't expecting that." Then Naruto started to wave his arms defensively, mistaking that his words would offend the mage, "Not that I'm complaining or anything! But, why teach me regardless? You don't even know me." Merlin waved a finger at the ninja.

"All of which is true, however I've foreseen your future within the court of our king, and I will not be there at times to give counsel to her." Merlin was half-Incubus; meaning he was also a womanizer, not just a renowned magus in Europa. He had foreseen just as he said, and the magus believed that this young man that was not of this world could take his place at her side when the time came.

Naruto was floored by Merlin just flat out stating that he was taking him on as a student, "Thanks, I—wait a second…" Then that last part hit him, "I thought that a king was a man, not a woman." Merlin made a motion for him to turn back around to the sword in the stone.

"You'll see what I mean."

The jousting tournament must have come to an end some minutes ago for the assembled knights, stewards and common folk were slowly making their way over to the field where Naruto and Merlin stood. A few looked askance at Naruto due to his dark clothes and red eyes, thinking him a foreigner of some sort or maybe some inhuman thing like Merlin. They were correct in that case but Naruto had long since grown numb to stares of philistines and idiots. Merlin stepped forth to stand before Caliburn and turned to address the crowd. "Lords, Knights, common folk of Britain, I bid you welcome to this place and thank you for coming so soon."

Merlin bowed lightly, pulling his hood back to reveal his inhuman beauty to all which caused quite a few of the women-folk to blush. "Many of you know me as the wandering Mage who predicted the twin dragons beneath Mount Emrys. In these troubled times we live in a kingdom split and cracking. The Saxons, disease and the tyrant King Vortigern sit to the north, the Gaels to the west and Barbarians to the east, indeed, Britain requires a King!"

There was murmured agreement amongst the people assembled there, a few of the more boisterous bannermen slamming their flags against the floor in appreciation. Merlin waited for this to calm down before continuing, "We require a fair king, one who will be as metal, unbending and sharp. And so I present to you, Caliburn." the Mage indicated the beautiful sword. "I have enchanted this weapon to pass judgement over those who lay their hands upon it, to test their capacity as king. So let it be written, that whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone is rightful king of all England!"

In the following hours no less than six hundred people attempted to pull sword from stone, all of whom failed to move it. From mountains of muscle to young boys with skinny arms and skinnier ideals, none could do more than glare at the blue and gold sword that resolutely remain routed. Naruto was about to go get a drink when Merlin patted him on the shoulder and directed him to look behind him.

Naruto turned to see that it was a girl, not but maybe a year younger than he was walking towards Caliburn. She was short in build, maybe 5'2 clad in dark blue pants tucked into brown boots and a rough white tunic. Her bust was on the small side, perhaps bound as some Kunoichi did. The only reason Naruto knew she was a girl was her scent on the air. Her hair was spun gold tied into a bun at the back of her head and a stray Ahoge jutting from her head. Her elegant face was undoubtedly beauty of a holy virgin, emerald green eyes that would be fit for any king's crown locked against Caliburn.

As she gazed at the sword, she briefly looked right at Naruto and he felt something inside him flutter, almost as if he had seen something unlike anything else in the world. She was confident, yet appeared conflicted as she gazed into Naruto's eyes, no doubt she was the one that gasped before when he began to pull Caliburn. But resolved nonetheless of what occurred.

Merlin stepped forward and spoke to her, "Before you take the sword, ask yourself. Are you prepared to become the king?" The young girl took hold of Caliburn with the metal emanating once more as it did before Naruto, however this time it only began when she took the grip whereas when he just merely approached it did the blade glow.

The girl took a deep breath as she gripped the sword with both hands and closed her eyes, "Merlin."

"Yes."

"What does it mean to be the king?" Asking the question loud and clear.

Merlin merely looked to the sky as he answered her, "That, my dear little Arturia is a question that is not easily answered. For you see, the path to one's kingship is dependent on the one who is king. Though I must warn you, the road you walk will be fraught with peril. Once you draw this sword you will no longer be human." Merlin then looked to Naruto, "But, you will not be alone in this endeavor." The mage had taken notice that his soon-to-be apprentice's eye never once left Arturia.

He foresaw that they would create Camelot together. But after that…

Arturia opened her eyes to gaze at Caliburn, "One's own path to kingship…" She wanted to unite the lands to bring peace and order to her country. To protect those who could not protect themselves. To create just laws, guided by just leaders, and a just king.

Merlin whispered into Naruto's ear, "She's certainly resolved now to begin her time as king. To ensure the safety and prosperity for her people, and the future generations to come."

"Now I see, she's…" As Arturia drew Caliburn from the stone, the clouds parting and a bright light shined down upon her, as if the very heaven's themselves chose her and her alone to begin bringing prosperity to Britain, "…she's so beautiful."

As Naruto saw Arturia as the king, he became captivated by her in that instant.

For she too saw the ninja's eyes upon her, but for once… she was unsure of what path to take.

Unknown to them, another pair of eyes settled on Naruto. But not one with the air of compassion… only of sibling jealousy. And they'd be prepared for a meeting with the Dead Apostle ninja.

* * *

-Now-

Naruto recalled that day; it was the day it was almost love at first sight for him. Naruto had become captivated by Arturia along with her ideals that were so similar to his own before when he wanted to become Hokage. He rose from his desk and crossed to the cabinet where the ancient box rested. He unlatched it before pushing it open, looking upon an object of peerless beauty.

He traced his left hand on Avalon that sat within the case, and saw that the time was coming close, "Arturia. My king… my love… We'll see each other again. The vow I made to you that day, I intend to keep it."

Naruto would return Arturia Pendragon to the flesh and reunite their family.

* * *

_Codex Apostletos_

_Taken from the notes of L. Barthomeloi_

_Subject: Naruto Uzumaki, #7 of the Twenty Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors_

_Alias: Shadowed Spiral, the Benign Ancestor, Grand Uzumaki, Orange_

_Description:_

_I... am not exactly sure what to write about #7. As a Barthomeloi I should despise him as a matter of fact yet I cannot help but feel respect for his skill in Magecraft and thankfulness that he does not have a habit of traumatizing students like Kaleidoscope but their are other... unprofessional feelings for him that I shan't commit to paper. From a standpoint as Wizard Marshal I can say that he is a welcome asset to the Association and of others after attaining [REDACTED]._

_Tracking his movements through the years has been a pain especially seeing as Naruto's main friends in the Association are either firmly in the democratic faction or "hazardous" to approach. The majority of the data I gathered was through a meeting with Merem Solomon organised by [REDACTED] but seeing the animosity between Merem and Naruto I have been forced to discount some of Merem's claims in this report._

_Naruto's appearance and presence in our world is nonexistent prior to his first appearance, but he has been active for over 1500 years, the first recorded incident being his confrontation with Brunestud of the Crimson Moon. During that confrontation Uzumaki was able to demonstrate techniques of an unknown form of Magecraft that the Association has only been able to partially duplicate it after recovering a manuscript composed by [REDACTED] but it had at least a millenia's worth of mystery even then. This put's his Magecraft from 1500 years ago firmly in the Age of Gods._

_The battle has had indeterminate amounts of damage and claims as to wear it took place but one major consensus is that Brunestud's "Alt Negal" was used to finish the fight and carved out the majority of what we now know as the Grand Canyon in Arizona. After the confrontation Uzumaki was made into an Ancestor by Brunestud. Naruto's status as a Dead Apostle is strange given that he bares apparent hybridization between True Ancestor and Dead Apostle Ancestor traits. My hypothesis is that due to his connection to Nature, Gaia treat him as it would a Lesser Fae, an extension of its will._

_The main reason for the Association not hunting Naruto Uzumaki in the past is twofold, firstly is that he is close friends with my fellow Wizard Marshall, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg and the last time we attempted to hunt the White Princess of the True Ancestors, a person that Zelretch views as a granddaughter he threatened to teleport all of Clock Tower into the singularity of a Supermassive black hole._

_The second reason is that Naruto appears to lack Vampiric Impulses and does not require blood to sustain himself. We know that he can turn others but has refrained from it, the only known case being [REDACTED]. I believe the reason that he does not need blood is due to his Origin and unique physiology forming a positive feedback loop but I lack evidence and... I don't think I could simply ask him._

_From this point on I shall attempt to chronicle his life so I can better understand Clock Tower's greatest mystery... and a growing obsession of mine._

* * *

**And done!**

**(1) The Command Seals that Naruto has for the upcoming Fourth Holy Grail War are those that Master Arturia has in her reality.**

**(2) The painting that Naruto made of Arturia, you can find on my profile page.**

**As you no doubt know, this will begin with Arturia's rise to power along with the gathering of her Knights of the Round Table, the creation of Camelot, etc. Mordred will also become a prominent character in this story as there is a plan for her as well.**

**Anyways, the next chapter will Naruto finally meeting Arturia and their following conversation of Caliburn choosing Naruto as a potential king, becoming Merlin's apprentice, and the beginning of the campaign to unite Britain.**

**I'll go ahead and get this out of the way with Naruto fighting and losing to Brunestud. He didn't lose his Six Paths Senjutsu, he simply became too ****exhausted. Naruto is planetary level? Well not when the planet is actively fighting back and crushing you from existence. Ultimate Ones (like Brunestud) lack the concept of death. Arcueid with full power once wanted to kill herself to see what it was like despite the fact the pure backlash would have killed every single human on planet earth. Naruto is strong, undeniably strong. But the environment of the Nasuverse and it's "conceptual bullshit" are the antithema to shonen powers.**

**To make things short, NARUTO ISN'T NERFED... ****Naruto needs to struggle in order to grow, and without said struggle, there is no story, and if you argue against that, then all I can say is that we have different views on the way to tell a story. But ultimately that opposing view runs into the Superman Problem.**

**If Naruto is so OP as YOU want him to be, then there is no excitement, no tension, no character development, and no real sense of danger when he meets an enemy. He would one-shot everything and anything that got in his way, and he really wouldn't change or mature in any way.**

**This concept of _"Naruto has to be the strongest in any verse he is inserted into from the get-go"_ is vexing because it leads to people complaining about things that are moronic when you look at it for more than a second. I site a NarutoxDC story where a reviewer complained for over 600 words that Naruto didn't flatten his opponent in 1 second flat. That opponent was the multiversal New God, Darkseid...**

**If you still disagree, then all I can say is that we won't agree on this subject, and it's best that it's not brought up at all as I don't really care to comment or see it in the reviews or PM's sent my way with this subject.**

**As for which grail War Naruto will be participating in... it's the Fourth Fuyuki Holy Grail War: Fate/Zero. I'm sure you guys will enjoy that a lot when it comes back to that ;)**

**So, let me know what you guys think. And please leave an actual review, tell me what you guys liked and/or disliked about the chapters, otherwise my writing can't improve properly. While it's nice to be told that the chapter is nice and all, like the previous sentence, the point stands.**

**Anyways, continue to read, review, favorite and follow this story as well as my others.**

**Until next time :) !**


	2. Chapter 1: The Rise of Camelot Part I

**Back with an update and the first chapter of the story! Honestly, this part of the story, namely the Camelot era of things is hard to piece together mainly due to the fact that no one seems to be able to piece together a coherent timeline of the 7 years that Arturia spent uniting Britain, and the 10 years she reigned over the country from Camelot.**

**Hopefully things will make sense as I've been constructing a timeline to gain a better understanding of how this will go.**

**Now, onto reviews that I wasn't able to respond to or unable to contact, etc. –**

**Reader – Caliburn was the sword that Arturia drew that designated her as the heir to the throne and became king. Excalibur was given to her by Vivian: The Lady of the Lake after Caliburn was lost due to Morgan le Fay's schemes to dethrone her sister. As for Arturia being more like Saber Lily, well you'll have to keep reading to find out ;)**

**Robthekiwi121 – I hope to keep people's interest with the story.**

**leocascavel – This is the second story of mine that you've commented on, and honestly, I don't know what either of the comments are supposed to mean.**

**Guest, April 27th – I intend to and thank you :)**

**Guest, April 28th – Yes, I do realize that, however Naruto has no ambition to be the king to these people as he doesn't know them, nor they him. He doesn't want the role of being an inhuman king that has lost its humanity, and thus he decides to help the person who becomes king, that person being Arturia.**

**Pip Binn – Glad you think so, the prologue I intended to set things straight that Naruto has been alive for well over 1500 years and his wish is to resurrect Arturia, as it's his goal. Though, I'll be going forward only at this point and will be catching up to the present. The footnotes by Lorelei will be there to provide what she has been digging up on the ninja since his past is shrouded in mystery.**

**AlbatrossWearer – Glad you liked the start, and here's more :)**

**Markus-Antonius – I'm glad you like the concept, and things will progress further into the Camelot storyline from here.**

**DaDragon562 – Thanx, I've honestly wanted Arturia to have a happy ending, as there really is only (as far as I'm aware of) two timelines where she gets one. But we never see what happens afterwards, and this time story will show it.**

**AbyssEater – Thanx, I'm glad this story caught your attention and I hope this new chapter will keep you interested.**

**Giacomo – Thanx. As for Altrouge, her role will come in later down the storyline.**

**vercingetorix2 – Thanx, and I hope the new chapter will keep you entertained.**

**Tera12 – I'm glad you liked it, and the wait will be worth it with this chapter :)**

**SlyUzumakiVii – Glad you loved it.**

**Now that the reviews are out of the way, onto the first chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 1 – The Rise of Camelot Part I

-467 AD-

It seemed as if the people were still trying to figure out whether or not to cheer for their new king or demand a sort of redo. Naruto wasn't one to judge since that sword clearly had a mind of its own, and the girl, Arturia as Merlin called her, certainly was worthy to use that fickle stick of a blade. Judging from Arturia's expression, she seemed… hesitant to speak to the people that were supposed to be celebrating this moment for her. Hell, Naruto was 98 and he would feel apprehension if this was his first time.

Merlin nudged Naruto slightly as he whispered into his ear, "You were right earlier when you said that only a man could be called King. However, she is merely posing as one to ensure she can lead her people. Now may be a good time to help her shine. Oh, and please do call her Arthur when other people are around." Merlin shoved Naruto out towards Arturia who along with many others, turned their eyes to see the Dead Apostle approach the new king.

Rubbing his back, Naruto glared at Merlin briefly for putting him on the spot like this.

'_Then again, I usually did enjoy being in the spotlight. But not like this.'_ Naruto thought to himself.

Kurama snorted, looking back at all the times Naruto decided to announce himself,** "What's so different?"**

_"I'm not the one that needs the attention!"_

Naruto looked to Arturia with a smile on his face, seeing that she needed some moral support right now as Merlin so put it. Taking a deep breath, he stood before the new king and turned back to the large crowd, "Hail King Arthur! Long live the new king!" Raising a fist in the air, he put on bravado as he cheered for the girl who became king.

He turned to see the expression on Arturia's face whose eye widened with disbelief, most likely after seeing his earlier drawing of the blade begin before he rejected it. The thoughts that swirled in her head made her wonder just why… why would a being considered to be one for the darkness… be on the side of someone like her who would want to purge them, in order to make room for the light…?

Naruto saw that a few people were beginning to get the message that this was happening right here, right now. They had a new king. A king that while still young, was chosen by a sword enchanted by Merlin. A magus known far and wide to be on the side of order and justice. But Naruto could tell that there were still some, namely the knights and noble who tried their hand at the blade, held pettiness in their gazes.

"Well what're you all just standing there for?!" Naruto raised his hands in the air waving at them, "Britain has its king now! King Arthur!" The ninja pivoted and bent a knee to her while she still held Caliburn raised in the air this entire time. He whispered to Arturia as quietly as possible to ensure that only she heard what he said next, "Go ahead. Tell them what you plan to do as the king."

* * *

When Arturia first heard of a Dead Apostle in Britain a few days ago, she had been on edge, unsure if she was possibly being targeted by vampires if they somehow found out that she was Uther Pendragon's heir. As such, she kept her sword handy that her foster father; Sir Ector, had given to her when she would train and spar with her foster brother, Sir Kay -whom she was also a squire under him- for defense. With the final day of the Jousting Competition coming to a close, the sword of selection would be held soon. Since her brother's jousting done and over with, she sat out of sight staring at Caliburn for hours, wondering if she was truly worthy as she had been raised to believe.

With the time coming closer and closer, Arturia was about to seek Merlin out for advice, that is until she saw him. The Dead Apostle. She had taken him for a foreigner at first glance with those odd whisker like marks, similar to tribal markings born by the Gaels. However soon she had bore witness to the sight of him being able to pull Caliburn partially from the stone… but then reject it entirely… only one with the capacity to be a king to Britain and save it from the chaos that was consuming it could wield the blade. Simply walking up to the sword caused the reaction and while she herself only received the same thing, she had to touch it in order to get that reaction.

Now he hailed her as the one true king and bent a knee while praising her 'name'.

And this confused her to no ends. Why be worthy and not take it? What drove this Dead Apostle to do such a thing? She fought down a blush as he told her what she intended to do with a smile on his face.

Mustering up the courage she had been building up she gave it her all with a loud and clear voice, "I will save our kingdom! I will save our people and our future!" One by one the people began to pay attention and a few even bent the knee just as the Dead Apostle had. All she needed to do to sway the hearts of these people would be to keep her speech going, "All we have done is live our lives in peace! There is nothing so horrendous that we have done to deserve such tragedy! Foreigners who come to slaughter and take what is ours! A false tyrant of a king, demanding the obedience of all within the lands we inhabit! Uncontrollable plagues that take the lives of those so cruelly!"

The people were beginning to listen intently, "Today, I say no more! Today, I take up this blade to lead us to a brighter future! A better tomorrow! One where no man, woman or child need fear our enemies, nor will they buckle under the thumb of tyrants! I, Arthur Pendragon intend to create a nation that will endure for centuries in peace & prosperity. To create just laws, guided by just rulers, that is my oath to you all! I only ask that you give your all and follow me!" She panted slightly as she put everything she had to sway them to her cause into that address. Arturia was unaware of it, but the image of a mighty dragon in a red aura manifested behind her, causing the people to be left awed by her appearance all the while others were struck by fear and quietly left the spectacle.

Naruto could tell that they too became captivated by Arturia, or Arthur as they were led to believe she was a man. But there would be those that would not accept her as the king. Most likely they'd try to put slander to her name at best. At worst assassination attempts would occur and open rebellion. Naruto wouldn't allow that to happen.

Swords were drawn from sheaths and plunged into the ground from age old baron to lowly hedge knight, Those that bent the knee to their new king hailed her just as he did; just as loud and thunderous as he was.

"ALL HAIL KING ARTHUR, SON OF UTHER! LONG LIVE THE RIGHTFUL KING OF BRITAIN!"

Many didn't see, save for Naruto due to how close he was to her… Arturia shed a small single tear in happiness.

The ninja smiled at the lovely sight.

Merlin approached from behind as many of the people began to gather their things to set out at their king's command, sending off riders to call their bannermen to arms. Naruto got up to face Merlin while giving a mild glare at the magus for his actions, however Merlin merely gave a look of ignorance, "That certainly was quite the spectacle. Now all you need to do is prove yourself to the people that you can lead in battle."

Arturia lowered Caliburn as she gracefully strode forward to Merlin, stepping past Naruto, "But where to start is the question. If I make the wrong choice, then the people will doubt my ability to be king." Naruto nodded as he agreed with her. If Arturia made the wrong choice. A choice that wound up getting them killed, or something that would besmirch her name as the king. Arturia glanced back to Naruto as she noticed that he agreed with her, adding to the already strange situation of a Dead Apostle actively supporting her.

Merlin raised a hand that was emanating a blue & gray glow, "There is such a fortuitous opportunity for use then to demonstrate your capacity as king. A great number of Saxons have made their encampment on the River Glein and given how you so eloquently put in your speech, that you would drive them off our lands, one would be foolish to not seek this chance." As Merlin waved his emanating fingers above Arturia's head, dust fell below to the king as it swirled around her; changing her attire into something else entirely.

A blue and white dress that stopped around mid-shin with ever so lightly frilled edges that served as the only vestige of 'girlish vanity', indeed the dress was built for function and movement. The blue sections of the dress were outlined by thin gold stripes of weaved silk and ran from her midsection all the way to her high collar. Full length sleeves with puffed shoulders sat parallel to the small opening in the upper portion of the dress to allow her petite bust to poke through, again for comfort and practicality as opposed to frivolity. Beneath the dress she still wore the same brown boots and pants.

As for her armor; a steel plate cuirass with black and dark blue lines decorating its surface was affixed around her front and back with no looping "shoulder straps" over her shoulders, instead the back of the piece stopped between her shoulder blades. The left and right side of her dress were defended by two large folds formed from three pieces of curved metal fastened to move with the dress. Attached to the front of the dress was a dark blue 'loin cloth' that seven to cover her legs further. Each leg was clad in plated grieves and sabatons that matched the gauntlets that now covered most of her lower arms. The right gauntlet had fully separated fingers while the left was more of a 'mitten' design

Naruto had to say that the armor and dress look went well with her, fitting her form and concealing her gender as a woman… and it looked stunning on Arturia… he was caught in a daze. Until he was forced out of it when he felt the prick of a blade at his throat. Turns out Arturia had turned it onto him while he was distracted by her change in attire, "Before I begin preparations for the coming trials, I must ask you, Dead Apostle. Why are you here? Come to enchant my old teacher as a thrall?" She spoke with authority as well as lacing a threat in there through her words.

'Try anything and I cut your head off.'

It was not something Naruto particularly wanted to face for while his level of mystery meant that he was rather difficult to kill, a light based Holy Sword such as Caliburn would certainly sting.

Arturia narrowed her eyes at Naruto in suspicion. In all honesty, Naruto should've expected this from her since he just came out of the blue and supported her with no real standing. And after his little starting rouse to push her up as the king, one couldn't help but wonder if Naruto had some ulterior motive.

Naruto would've tried to say something to her, but she pushed the sword further to his throat, "Your next words will determine whether or not you have a head, so I suggest you choose them wisely."

Now that's what Naruto found attractive in a woman. For some reason, he liked the ones that were dominant and had a back bone. He supposed that was why he had tried chasing down Sakura all those years since the Academy.

Wait… did this mean he was a masochist?

He hoped not.

Either way, Naruto felt it best to use his words carefully as Arturia put things. Looking over to Merlin, he spoke, "You're right Merlin. She's certainly a dragon, but I'd say she's more like that of a lion and she shines gold like the one of Nemea." Merlin chuckled at Naruto's words with both glancing back to Arturia to see that she blushed up a storm of indignation, before she shook her head to force it back. Arturia opened her mouth to say something… that is until Merlin spoke up.

"While this little bonding moment is quite amusing to see, I'd greatly appreciate it if you lowered your sword from my newest student's neck." Arturia's head snapped to the magus with surprise in her eyes.

"Y-Your student?" Merlin nodded as Arturia slowly lowered Caliburn from Naruto's neck, no doubt realizing her actions bordered on absolute disrespect to her teacher in the usage of her Dragon Core. Prior to her birth, Merlin had given her mother the blood of the Red Dragon, thus granting her the potential to use magecraft, however she lacked the aptitude to utilize it in the way her teacher did. As such she chose to adopt the abilities and skills that would allow her to counter magecraft along with being able to use her Dragon Core as a support system in combat, to either repel enemies, resist magecraft, or increase her own battle prowess in speed, strength or reflexes.

And it worked beyond what she previously thought, the supreme phantasmal species was indeed fearsome.

Now that her training under the magus was completed, she believed that he would help her in providing counsel, but this was unexpected. Most likely Merlin would be preoccupied with teaching the Dead Apostle since he took his tutelage rather seriously, yet he had his humor…

…how she hated being strung up by the leg with a tree vine and forced to tap into her Dragon Core to let her go… she felt like a bottomless pit after getting out of that thing…

"Indeed!" Merlin raised a finger in exclamation. "Young Naruto here has sought me out for my knowledge in the magecraft arts, and I fully intend to take him as my student." The mage placed a hand on Arturia's shoulder to explain further seeing how she was confused by his words, "You needn't worry your pretty little head off…" Merlin's words caused her to become irritated to which Naruto found rather cute, "…I still intend to help you along your journey. Not just that, but I believe that you won't be able to rid yourself of the young vampire here who is no doubt committed to your cause."

Naruto could only smile as he bowed to the new king, though he did feel annoyance that Merlin called Naruto young despite the fact he was nearly fifty years his senior "I am at your service…" Lifting his head, he could only lace his voice with cheekiness that only made him look more endearing, "…my king." Arturia was floored by this boy who didn't look any older than she did, just commit himself to her service. That coupled with the fact that he was to be Merlin's new student would mean that she would be seeing him quite often.

Arturia breathed in deeply as she began to speak, "M-My apologies, Naruto. I overreacted and assumed you were here trying to enchant my former teacher." Arturia closed her eyes as she bowed to apologize for her actions. Clearing her throat, Arturia gazed into Naruto's eyes as she tried to figure him out; especially since Caliburn had recognized him as one worthy to lead Britain but rejected the responsibility, and for the life of her… she couldn't understand him, and this captured her attention.

But given that he did say that he was now in her service, "Naruto." She spoke with the authority and air of a king ready to begin command as the ninja stood at attention.

"Yes, ma—my king!" He almost let that one slip up. Didn't want to get on her bad side already.

Arturia stuck Caliburn down into the ground as she continued, "You've stated that you are in my service correct?" She received a nod of confirmation, "Then as such, you are under both my protection and my command whenever you are not in session with Merlin. I will not ask you of you to perform actions that I will not do myself, nor will I ask you to sully your hands and stain your code or my own, as this would reflect very poorly on me as king." Arturia turned to face the homestead as she motioned for them to follow her back to their tent, "Given what we're about to face, it would be best to introduce yourself to those we will be fighting alongside in order to help build trust."

Arturia lead them back through the encampments, many people were breaking down their tents and packing up their horses to set out with their new king, while others seemed to linger with their gazes cast at Arturia and Naruto that either were filled with mild disdain or disbelief. Naruto chalked it up to the nobles that absolutely refused to acknowledge her as their leader. Though he did see the familiar signs of troops beginning to sortie and organize beneath bannermen, more of which arrived by the hour. Some brought only a group of fifteen while others more substantial Knights, archers and cavalry.

Hopefully this upcoming battle would change some minds and rally more to Arturia's banner. There were still some people that kept their distance now that they got a better look at his eyes, though when they gazed at Naruto, it was more akin to paranoia than awe. Naruto tried to appear as if he was no different from anyone by waving at some of the people, although that only garnered a few absentminded waves or adults ushering in some children away into the houses or tents.

"_I knew it wasn't gonna be easy to win people over._" Naruto thought to himself. Vampires had that kind of reputation no matter where they went.

**"And has anything ever stopped you from trying?**" Kurama piped up, **"I mean, you've had the girl's blade pointed at your throat and then by throwing her a compliment, you got under her skin and make her blush in embarrassment. She's already warming up to you."**

_"Uhm… no comment there."_

**"Hah! Gotcha!"**

The fox was right though. Naruto did win people over in the end of things. If he could make a bloodthirsty rogue ninja bawl his eyes out over the death of his student/adopted son, force a psychopathic twelve-year-old to find a new purpose in life; even capture hearts and trust of an entire village that reviled him for so long… well then he was confident that he could make people see past his status as a vampire.

Arturia led them to a large house where a pair of weathered banners with the emblem of a golden dragon adorning the sides of the door. Naruto saw that the banners looked as if they had just been unfolded and placed there within the hour, "The symbol of the House of Pendragon." Naruto turned to see Merlin speak on what he gazed at, "Now that Arthur here has drawn the sword of selection, it was time that the symbol of the Pendragon's rose up again after Uther's death."

Naruto understood that symbols were synonymous with clans, as it represented what they stood for, or what they embodied, "So, a Dragon for the Pendragon clan? Right, makes sense then, plus that aura she gave off…" The way that red dragon manifested behind her as she gripped the sword was as if she was a host to a beast like himself.

Merlin cocked his head to the side, "Ah, so then… you saw it as well. I will explain it to you in time." Arturia turned to glance at the two magecraft wielders behind.

"Merlin, would you really be so willing to share such things so quickly?" Arturia knew that Merlin had performed a special type of magecraft to imbue her with the blood of the red dragon, and it was the source of her own mana, becoming a Dragon Core... a sort of pseudo-dragon heart that gave her the attributes of the creature. This was something that Merlin told her that she should keep a secret. If anyone else discovered this, then they would no doubt try to extract it from her.

The magus waved his hand in protest, "Have no fear. I have a feeling that our new friend will keep his mouth sewn shut on that little matter." Merlin gave Naruto a knowing look that this was something that must be kept quiet at all costs. Naruto gaze a little salute to Arturia.

"My lips are sealed." Arturia nodded in appreciation.

"Thank you." Arturia opened the door to the house and gestured for Naruto and Merlin to follow her inside, "We're here."

As they stepped inside, Naruto took note of the large table in the center of the room with a map of the island. Making his way to the table, he saw that was divided into the provinces that lords and nobles controlled, along with the various settlements that were under the protection. Small daggers were stabbed into certain places with pieces of paper tied to the hilts signifying which foreigner group were in the areas, however there was a much larger dagger stabbed up further to the north of where most of the others were situated at. The paper tied to this dagger had 'Vortigern' written on it.

This was a war table.

Arturia stood next to him as she gazed down to the map, "Once when the Roman Empire spanned most of the island, it provided stability and protection to our people. My father was the previous true king, and he held a strong bond with the emperor in Rome **(1)**. However, when the empire collapsed, all of the protection, trade and commerce that it provided was swept away." Tracing her fingers on the table to the large dagger, Arturia tapped it a few times, "Not long after Vortigern, someone that my father once trusted, betrayed him and decided to stage a coup to take the throne. The nobles and lords refused seeing that with Uther gone, they themselves could try and take the throne, while others stayed loyal to him and held onto their territory to try and keep the peace."

Naruto saw that she was clenching her fist in anger. No doubt from the betrayals and dishonorable actions that she spoke of previously, "Now the Saxons, Gaels, barbarians and other foreign invaders sweep across the lands; bringing the plague, stealing, killing, raping… and all manner of disgusting things that I will not speak of…" Her voice was becoming steeled and filled with a slight tinge of venom, "… and Vortigern does nothing but sit on his false throne and allow them to come and go as they please to raid our lands. I will no longer sit by as my country and people are destroyed from within."

Naruto could see her determination to help her people, restore order, provide safety… everything that he would've set out to do when he became Hokage. He may not be able to lead like he could have in this new world, but that didn't mean he could help Arturia lead. Placing a hand on Arturia's shoulder, he tried to give some support to the girl that now had to take up the burden of being the king, "Hey, you're not alone in this. I'm sticking with you through and through."

Arturia turned to gaze into Naruto's red eyes with her own green, seeing that he was being truthful to his word. She glanced to his hand touching her shoulder as she felt that his own wasn't cold like she believed vampires to be, rather it was warm and comforting. Something unexpected from such an odd person… Merlin simply stood back and watched the little growing affection with amusement, however… "Ahem."

Both of the young teens twisted their heads to the magus, "As much as I'm enjoying this little bonding moment, and it'd be nice to see more of it, we do have work to do." Arturia was the first to look at their current hand positions, as she blushed slightly before pulling her shoulder away leaving Naruto a little downtrodden by this.

Well he supposed that this would no doubt to people questioning things between the two of them and discover her secret.

"Yes, of course Merlin." Arturia spoke briefly before she headed down a hallway, "I'll need to gather my things."

Naruto turned back to Merlin as he held onto the feeling of Arturia's soft, yet firm form as it held the delicacy of a woman's touch, but the tautness of a warrior whose endured training to become a master of the sword, "That was a nice touch…" He murmured to himself, although Merlin clearly caught it as he grinned like the cat that ate the canary.

"Well, it looks like the rest of our entourage hasn't arrived back yet, so let's get down to business while we still have still have time, shall we?" Merlin waved his fingers as a chair slid over from off the side to allow him to sit down to contemplate on the questions to ask Naruto, as well as formulate a plan on where to begin his training, "So then, what all do you know exactly about the art of Magecraft?"

Naruto leaned up against the table slightly as he crossed his arms, "I know bits and pieces, but nothing really solid." Staring up to the ceiling he wondered if maybe he should've asked that old vampire a bit more on the inner workings of magic… but then again… he shuddered at any explanation the troll would've given, "I know that Magecraft's a study that can be learned with several schools but one has to have Magical Circuits to use it properly, otherwise you get zippo." Making a gesture with his right arm to signify that nothing would come up if one tried to learn magic without the prerequisite, "I also know that there's two types of magical energy: Prana or Od which comes from a person's own internal life force. And then there's Mana, which if the magical energy that's in the environment around you, though really, it's in nature. Once you run out of it, you can refill it with rest and recuperation." Naruto took a deep breath after that little explanation before he continued, "I also know that there's something called the 'True Magic', but I'm a little hazy on the details."

Merlin hummed in thought as Naruto seemed to understand the basics of Magecraft, "You have the basic understanding of it down, though I guess it's better than nothing." The magus got up from the chair as he walked towards a large open room off to the right of where they were at, waving for Naruto to follow him. Naruto saw that the room had a bed with a table filled with many items that one would associate with a magus: a scrying orb, texts written in languages that one wouldn't be able to understand unless they learned it from a magus, gems that shined even when they weren't in the sunlight, jars filled with powder, flowers, animal parts, even an Azoth Dagger if he recognized it from Zelretch's description of those things… which was immensely odd given that Zelretch had also mentioned that the Azoth Dagger would not be invented in this reality of another thousand years or so. Just how skilled a Mage was Merlin?

Merlin took one of the jars from the table as he stuck his hand into it, while he took a handful of powder. Throwing the powder into the room, he drew a circle in mid-air with the powder responding to his gesture; the powder settled down to the ground as it made a perfect circle that encompassed much of the room. "Go ahead and take off your shirt as you step into the circle. Now, this circle will allow me to see what it is that you have within you as a way to better ascertain what I can teach you. However, it all hinges on what I find within you. I may be able to teach you much, or not much at all." Tapping his staff on the floor, the circle emanated a silver light that washed over Naruto. Some of the powder began to take form in the form of various esoteric symbols in front of Merlin.

Placing a hand under his chin, Merlin narrowed his eyes at the words that appeared in front of, "My oh my, of my… this is a pleasant surprise."

Naruto cocked a brow in curiosity, "So… what's the news, sensei?" Merlin's expression of curiosity turned to glee with his eyes widening with excitement.

"Amazing! Now I see it!" Dispelling the powder in front of him, Merlin rolled up a sleeve to showcase his Magic Circuits to Naruto, the green pathways lighting up beneath the skin "These are what magic circuits appear within those like myself that can use Magecraft. You on the other hand…" Rolling down his sleeve, Merlin snapped his fingers as the powder began to cling to Naruto and highlight his chakra network, "…you already have a preexisting energy circulatory system that draws from a massive core that holds on ocean of power. It's as if you have magic circuits that grew out from it to spread through your body. No, I take that back…" Dispelling the powder on Naruto's arm, "…I shouldn't even call them Magic Circuits, strictly speaking of course. This… this is a Regression to the Age of Gods, with unquantifiable power. If anything, you should be able to make use of the Mysteries from that era!"

Naruto wasn't completely surprised by what Merlin said, having his chakra system as opposed to magic circuits, but for him to deal the news that he could learn something that apparently belonged to Gods? That was interesting, "Well, my chakra network is something that's been a part of me since I was born. Actually, everyone back home has it in their body. I just trained really hard to get as strong as I was before I got turned."

"Tell me more…" Merlin urged Naruto to continue, "…how did it originate within your people?"

Naruto decided to put his shirt back on while he explained, as Merlin sat on the bed like a kid eager to hear a bedtime story, "It's a holdover from my ancestor from about 10,000 years **(2)** ago, when she was the one that brought it with her from wherever she came from. She kinda was pretty much a god in her own right because of this."

Thinking it over, now Naruto understood back when Brunestud said he had some divinity in him that day. Merlin mulled it over in his head as he himself seemed to understand Naruto's own unique status as a vampire, "From what you've told me, it sounds like you're more akin to that of a True Ancestor than a Dead Apostle, physically speaking that is. And your connection to nature that's very apparent to my eyes is part of that. Not just only, but the vampiric impulses that any would feel that comes with the price of becoming one, you won't even feel them given your Origin."

Now it made sense as to why he never felt the urge to feed off of someone else's blood. The vampiric instincts that would drive one of them to turn people or even kill them… never even touched his mind.

"Whew!" Naruto let out a big sigh, "That's a relief, to be honest I was pretty worried that one day I was gonna crack or something and bite someone."

"If such a thing would occur, then I would stop you as I jammed you to the ground with Caliburn while Merlin took the time to dispose of those impulses."

Naruto jumped at the sudden emergence of Arturia's voice behind him, "Guh!" He turned around to see that she now had Caliburn sheathed in an ornate scabbard, "What was that for, huh?! You could've given me a heart attack!"

Arturia closed her eyes while she spoke, "I almost did? My apologies then." If one didn't know any better, one could see that teensy, tiny little smirk at the edge of her lips. Like a little girl that got away with a lie unlike any other. Merlin held back a chuckle at the display that his former pupil was poking fun at his newest pupil.

The ninja caught on to the little jab, but Artuira spoke before he could, "Naruto. There was something I wanted to ask you, before the others arrive."

Catching onto her tone, Naruto straightened up a bit as he composed himself, "Yes? What'd you wanna know?"

"Why did you reject Caliburn?"

He heard the underlying question 'Why did you reject the position of King of Britain?'

Merlin dropped the humor as he gazed at the two teenagers before him curious about Naruto's answer, just as much as Arturia was.

Naruto took a deep breath as he started, "You were the one that let out that little gasp from the bushes, weren't you?" Arturia nodded.

"Yes. I had been contemplating if my role to become the king was truly meant for me, or someone else." She closed her eyes as she imagined herself or someone else perhaps from what Naruto could tell, pulling that sword. "It was then when I saw you approach Caliburn as it shined brightly in response to you mere presence, just as it did before me… only… you merely approached it, but I had to take the hilt for it to respond to me." Naruto saw that Arturia was gripping the sword tightly but not out of the desire to unsheathe it, but instead he felt that it was out of… inferiority?

Why would she feel that?

Was it because the sword possibly deemed him more worthy than she?

Or was she unsure about her position?

Naruto closed his eyes as he breathed in deeply before he explained, "I rejected it because well… why the hell would they accept me as their king? I'm a vampire. That doesn't look good to a lot of people, since most would prefer to shove me full of Black Keys and seal me in a coffin. Plus, your people don't even know me. I've got no real standing here, even if I took the sword." That was part of the reason, mainly the political aspect of it. "But… when I started drawing the sword, it spoke to me. It told me that I had to become inhuman to lead these people…" Now Naruto was getting into the personal aspect, "…I may be a monster to some, but I'm not throwing my humanity away. Something like that? That's too important to me."

Naruto opened his eyes as he bore into Arturia's own as they widened since he had closed his own to think hard on why he didn't want the sword, "The sword wanted me to be something that I couldn't be. I didn't want that fate…" Naruto placed his hands on Arturia's shoulders firmly to show her that he cared, "You're the one that's meant to be the king. But I won't let you follow the path that sword wants you to, I told you that I'll follow you through and through to make sure that you don't lose your humanity. And I damn well meant it, Arturia. Your oath… the promise you made to the people, I had something similar that I wanted to do for my own people, but that's come and gone now. Now… now I'm going to help you build your dream. And honestly, it's a beautiful dream."

Merlin smiled as he closed his eyes, seeing that his new apprentice was someone that cared for those who he had barely known. Foolish, of that he had no doubt, but admirable.

As Naruto continued to gaze into Arturia's eyes, he saw that this girl felt so relieved by what he told her as tears began to build up slowly. She dipped her down allowing her bangs to cover her eyes, while her hands shook lightly; not from the feeling of inferiority like before, as it appeared that she was struggling to keep herself from bowing in reverence. Arturia's lips quivered slightly as they arched upwards into a smile that would become rare in the future, but he saw a pair of tears drop down to the floor coupled with her voice that was so small, yet so grateful, "Thank you."

Naruto would have gone straight to a hug, judging from the way Arturia was, she wouldn't have objected to it. However, a few voices were approaching the front door forcing Arturia to distance herself as she wiped away the tears and compose herself, "They've arrived."

That and the last time he head read mixed signals from a girl had NOT been pleasant...stupid fae maiden in Gaul!

As the door opened, Naruto took note of four distinct voices, as they stepped into the house.

"I still can't believe that they won't accept Arthur as the king!"

"Believe it, those old men would've preferred placing their own insufferable brats on the throne instead."

"But don't they see? Arthur is our king. The one our people have been waiting for so long."

"Don't worry lads, we don't need those fools. The real supporters are still out defending their lands from our enemies. We'll set out once we've gathered up everything we can, and whoever comes with us."

Naruto saw that three young men all decked out in their armor follow an older man inside the house, taking in their appearances. "Go get your things ready boys, we'll be in for a long trip if anything." The older man said. The younger men nodded, that is before they turned their attention to Naruto, "What're you boys looking at?" The older man turned to see Naruto just as he did. All four of them were cautious and seemed off put by Naruto's appearance, however Arturia stepped forward to begin introductions.

"Sir Ector, this is Naruto Uzumaki. Merlin's new apprentice and my new retainer." She placed a hand on his shoulder to emphasize that these were the facts, "He will be travelling with us in our campaign and beyond. Please be kind to him."

The older man, whom Naruto assumed was Ector seemed taken aback by Arturia's words, as was another. Though one seemed a little happy, while another was intrigued but was just as happy as the other.

Arturia turned to Naruto as she continued, "Naruto." Stepping forward she gestured to Ector to begin the introductions, "This is Sir Ector; the owner of these lands and a knight loyal to my father, Uther. He took me in when I was born; raising & training me for this day and duty. I owe him greatly for doing so." Perhaps in his late forties, Sir Ector had brown hair with the odd fleck of grey here and there kept in a tight ponytail. His armor was slightly more decorative than the others with the crest of a golden dragon emblazoned on each shoulder plate, the sigil of the former King Uther Pendragon. He was maybe as tall as Naruto himself, but the armor gave him a larger look, greaves and sabatons looking a little worn from a lifetime of fighting.

Ector merely shook his head as he chuckled, "Arthur, you don't have to say such a thing. All I did was follow my king's final command."

Arturia merely smiled, "Yes you did. But you enjoyed being a father again. Of that I'm sure." She gestured to the person next to him. A young man of average height with dirty blonde hair that bordered on brown, a kind face and blue eyes. However, his right eye was slightly foggy by some kind of scar that ran from his hairline to his chin. Despite this his face remained kind with a small smile that spoke of warm summers and cool winters. He wore a set of plated armor that was focused mainly on the upper body with the lower armor obscured by a burgundy waist cape. "This is Sir Kay, my older brother. I was his squire before and sparred with him in my training sessions."

Kay smirked, "It's true, though Arthur here is such a sore loser." Arturia's eye twitched at his words, with Naruto smirking at the obvious sibling relationship they had with Kay being the elder, and Arturia being the younger. "But hey, I'm just glad we have another man around to keep things entertaining."

Arturia shook her head at Kay's antics to try and get a rise out of her, "I will not speak of things." Arturia gestured to the young man next to Kay, "This is Gawain, my nephew." Tall, handsome and a very heavily set chest, Gawain's body spoke of a man whom had trained with the sword since just after learning how to walk. His shaggy blonde hair and aqua colored eyes were the image of knightly beauty, but the air was slightly ruined by the way he held himself, like his skill would always win out. While he lacked a breast plate his arms and lower body were decked out in flower marked silver plate while his chest bore a black tunic and was draped by a teal cape lined with grey fur at the collar, perhaps taken from some wolf he had slain.

Gawain bowed his head slightly to Naruto, "A pleasure. Though I'm curious, why is it that Merlin has taken you as a student?"

Naruto could sense that he voiced the obvious suspicion and wasn't quite sure if he could say 'Yeah the mage saw it in a vision one day I'd be in the court', though he guessed Merlin was about to say something given he stepped forward to respond as he placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, "I had foreseen that young Naruto would seek me out to learn from me. And I fully intend to do so, as he has pledged himself to our king's cause." Merlin raised a brow, "Do you really doubt my word, or the kings?" Gawain seemed to back down from Merlin's words as he bowed in apology.

"I'm sorry, please forgive me." He looked to Naruto and continued, "It's just…"

"A vampire helping a king seems pretty suspicious…" Naruto finished for him, "…I'd act the same way honestly." He gave a smile seeing that Gawain was very loyal to his aunt, and he admired that.

Arturia then gestured to the last young man next to Gawain, "And this is Bedivere, one of my closest friends." Bediever had pale blonde hair and green eyes, at a glance one could be mistaken for thinking that Bedivere was a male version of Arturia with even his hair in a similar bun, save for the twin ponytails that hung from it. A simple breastplate and forest green breeches were covered by a white cape black collar.

Bedivere smiled as he closed his eyes to bow to Naruto, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Naruto. I hope we can become comrades along the way alongside our king." Naruto had a good feeling about this one.

Seeing that since Arturia introduced them, he felt it best to do the same with himself, "So, like uhm…" Not quite sure if Arturia had mentioned to them, or at least Bedivere, that she was a girl and not a guy, "…I'm Naruto but you guys already knew that. Let's see I like ramen, which I really need to make some for you guys to enjoy the food of the gods." Everyone just raised a brow in curiosity at the first and last bits, 'food of the gods'… Naruto continued on with his intro despite this little veer off course, "I hate jerks and most bad people in general, which is pretty much everyone we're going after, after today. I do enjoy gardening and reading from time to time, I'm a little outgoing, I like to be active and exercise whenever I can. I like to travel a lot, and I like to think myself as being open-minded to what I can learn and experience." Naruto closed his eyes as he rubbed the back of his head while flashing his megawatt smile, as he rubbed the back of his head.

**"Well that sucked… You're nearly 100 years old and you can't do better than your Genin introduction speech?"** Kurama commented on the lousy intro.

_"Screw you!"_ Naruto mentally chided the fox.

Any negative sense that they newcomers had of Naruto seemed to sweep away, though he doubted that was what would take to fully disperse any concerns of him being near Arturia.

Merlin patted Naruto on the shoulder, "Well said my apprentice. Now…" He glanced to Arturia as he continued speaking, "…I believe that the king has a plan on where we will begin taking back Britain from our enemies." Arturia straightened up as she turned to the war table to direct their attention to their first course of action.

Merlin and Naruto approached the table as the others gathered around it as Naruto was next to Arturia, "There is a Saxon encampment set up by the River Glein and it will be the perfect first attack in our war against the invaders and Vortigern." Ector placed a hand under his chin as he contemplated Arturia's first course of action.

The region wasn't too far from here, but it wouldn't be easy to cross through the mountainous region to reach the site as the Saxons had small parties scattered to prey upon traveler and trade caravans, "We only have a few hundred men at our call for the time being] but we'll need to leave some here to defend the land from our enemies. It will take us at least two days to make the way if the weather is kind to us." Ector crossed his arms as he turned to face Arturia, "As for the nobles here currently, well some of them don't like the fact that you're the rightful king, so they've decided to hold back their support in favor of you trying to prove yourself."

Arturia nodded as she agreed with her father figure and mentor. She was disappointed by the latter bit of news with those unaccepting of her kingship but she neither blamed them nor cared for them if they were only here in their own self interests, "Have a contingent remain behind as we take the rest of those who follow us, anyone. Men under your command, those nobles who are supportive of us, experienced volunteers, even the recruits that have joined for the tournament in the last few days. We can train along the way when we take stops to rest and make camp."

Naruto saw that she was determined to make use of whatever she could get a hold of for their campaign, however one problem was what Ector brought up: Saxon raid parties. He could have his Shadow Clones scout ahead to provide intel on enemy numbers and positions, etc. Raising a hand like he was back in the classroom, Naruto cleared his throat to get attention, "I think I can help out with giving us a good way ahead so we can keep our numbers high when we reach the main battle site."

Arturia directed her attention to the ninja, "How so? I assumed you would be riding alongside myself and the rest of us in the front." She may not admit it, but she cared for Naruto a great deal already.

Naruto saw the skepticism on their faces while Merlin placed a hand under his chin to see what his apprentice was about to say… or do in this matter. Forming the 'T' sign of his signature Jutsu, three puffs of smoke suddenly appeared behind Naruto as everyone directed their attention to what Naruto did, all the while Merlin looked giddy with what occurred.

Arturia had to admit, it took quite a bit to surprise her. Even Merlin's magical antics had to take a while before she was truly astonished by something, he did… but this was something she never thought possible.

In front of her stood three identical Naruto's that looked just like the original himself. All three of them gave a bow to her, "We're at your command." Their voices echoing one another as they not just looked like Naruto but sounded like him as well.

Arturia blinked as she struggled to keep her jaw from dropping, "Amazing…" Ector, Kay, Gawain and Bedivere all had the same looks of amazement adorning their features, all the while Merlin waved his hands like a giddy kid during the holidays.

"Oh, teaching you will be so much fun!"

Bedivere was the first to get a hold of himself before turning to Naruto, "Was that some form of magecraft? What else can it do?"

"It's kinda like magecraft, but not quite. They're Shadow Clones; solid copies of me that can scout ahead for us. When they disperse, all the knowledge they have comes back to me, so I'll know what they know." Naruto explained. Before Kakashi-sensei told him what they were really meant for in developing his Rasenshuriken. And after spending the last 80 years getting used to only three clones, he used them primarily for just scouting, it wasn't like he could use them in full combat like before.

Kay stepped forward and decided to poke one of them to see if they were actually there, "Huh, they're real flesh and blood copies, not illusions." He turned to Naruto as he smiled in glee, "So now we've got ourselves a one-man army."

Naruto grimaced slightly, "Eh… not anymore." Now the others seemed confused, "I used to be able to make just under a thousand, but… ever since I was bitten and turned…" A lie that he told to conceal the fact that he was not of this world, although he caught that Merlin didn't say anything, "…I've only been able to make up to three clones. Sorry I can't do more than that."**(3)** Giving an apologetic smile to everyone.

Ector and Gawain both had to admit that this would no doubt lead to saving the lives of their men in future battles. They couldn't deny that they were still suspicious of the boy, but he was demonstrating his ability already to aid them in their cause.

Arturia turned to Naruto with a question, "How soon can you have them scout ahead for us? We'll still need time to gather everything and everyone up."

"Right now, in fact." Naruto turned to the Shadow Clones and nodded to them as they saluted, knowing what to do. "You got it, boss!"

They disappeared as a rush of wind came through the front door, startling the others with as the door having swung open so suddenly and closed just as quickly. Naruto chuckled slightly, "Yeah I should've warned you guys, they fly off the handle pretty quickly."

And with that, they began to plan their next course of action as over the next few hours they gathered everything they could take with them and set out on the road to restoring peace and order to Britain.

* * *

It was near the end of fall as the time to travel along the road to war was not bad, but still the conditions were favorable for them, as opposed the scorching heat of summer, or snowfall and cold winds of winter.

Right now, Naruto was walking alongside Arturia who rode upon her horse, Llamrei. She had asked him before they got on the road if he would be alright walking while she and most of the others would be riding horseback. Naruto declined stating that he would be alright, that he was sued to walking long distances on his feet having done so many times in his youth.

When he and Jiraiya had gone on their three-year training trip, he crossed over into other countries with the old perv telling him about all of the 'exotic beauties' beyond the Land of Fire.

Ugh… so many brothels…

Llamrei seemed to take a liking to Naruto immediately for some reason, which baffled Kay who mumbled to himself about 'not being fair' only for Gawain to laugh at him all the while Ector told him to man up and deal with the horse.

Turns out Llamrei had a reputation of messing with Kay, and sometimes on Arturia's supposed request he'd take his stuff and dump it in a manure pile.

What joy.

Kay rode up behind Naruto under Ector's decision. Though it was really more or less on their parts of being a protective father and an older brother looking out for his sister. Merlin rode behind Gawain and Bedivere whom were next to one another, while the rest of the knights were behind that were under Ector, and thereby Arturia's command were in their horses and in carriages carrying their supplies.

Naruto was pretty adamant about getting certain flowers and herbs back at the homestead, claiming that he could make some actual food for them, to which Arturia budged on but not really understanding as to why. She wondered just what he ate before being bitten, so she decided to indulge him on such a thing.

Merlin had explained to Arturia further about the magical armor that he had gifted her, that it was something that would never be pierced by any weapons that their enemies held, nor would it weather or become dented. It was something that she could disperse and redo with the usage of her mana core and even if a weapon of magic could destroy it, she could recreate it in an instant if she willed it.

She had been contemplating on situations when she would have to discard the armor but couldn't think of anything right off hand. Arturia wondered if perhaps Naruto had some input to her slight dilemma; turning her head off down to her right side, she saw that Naruto's eyes were closed as he was walking alongside her, "Naruto, are you alright?"

The ninja opened his eyes as he turned to glance at Arturia while making sure he wouldn't run into anything, "I'm alright, no need to worry about me." He turned his gaze back to the road as he continued, "One of my Shadow Clones came across a small raid camp, so I had him go ahead and take it out for us while the Saxons slept to save time while he takes the supplies they had for us to use." Naruto looked back up to see that Arturia nodded, however he felt that was some bit of… reluctance to what he did, "Was there something wrong, my king?"

Arturia shook her head, "No, there was nothing wrong with what you did. I agree that we will need supplies to keep our growing army healthy and strong, and the fewer enemies the better for us, however…" She seemed to grip the reigns of Llamrei a little tightly, "…it's not very chivalrous to attack a sleeping opponent."

Naruto cocked a brow in confusion, "What's 'chivalrous' mean? I mean if we can take out an enemy with whatever advantage comes our way, shouldn't we use it to our benefit?" That was one of the many things that had been instilled within him as a Shinobi; to take advantage of anything and everything on the battlefield, or even create one to suit your situation.

Adapt on the fly or die.

Arturia whipped her head to look at Naruto in shock, "You don't know the chivalric code?" Naruto shook his head, only for her to breath in a bit to get ready for a little lecture, "The chivalric code is something that all knights abide by in order to uphold honor and integrity in battle; even the taking of a life must have meaning in combat. Without it, every battle fought would only bring forth the fires of hell and give rise to new conflict brought forth by hate." Arturia straightened her back as she continued,

"To love God and maintain his church. To serve the liege lord in valor and faith. To protect the weak and defenseless. To give succor to widows and orphans. To refrain from wanton giving of offense. To live by honor and glory. To despise pecuniary reward. To fight for the welfare of all. To obey those in authority. To guard the honor of fellow knights. To eschew unfairness, meanness and deceit. To keep faith. At all times to speak the truth. To persevere to the end in any enterprise begun. To respect the honor of women. Never refuse a challenge from an equal. Never to turn the back upon a foe."

Arturia breathed in deeply as she took a moment to catch her breath, "These are the values that knights hold and describe what the chivalric code entails. I intend to fully fight by the code, and win the coming battles without compromising it, with my honor and the honor of all those who follow me intact."

This was something that Naruto admired about Arturia. She wasn't willing to stray away from what she believed to be the right path and wouldn't put anyone in the position where they would have to violate the code of the knight. She'd get along with Mifune quite well in fact, judging from how her code and the Samurai's way of Bushido sounded so similar.

"You know that sounds a lot like Bushido, from the way you described things." Arturia was curious now on something similar to the way she lived by the way of chivalry.

"What is Bushido? And how is the chivalric code similar to it?"

Naruto was recalling what he learned about the samurai from the Land of Iron, and how they lived by the sword, "Well, from what little I remember about the samurai from the Land of Iron, they lived by the sword, kinda like knights do." Rubbing his fingers together, he was trying to recall what he learned from his short time in their country. Snapping his fingers, he remembered as he continued on, "Yeah, their code went kinda like this: The samurai needs to prove that he is just and honourable. The samurai should look at death with disgust. The samurai needs to have full self-control. The samurai needs to be merciful to his comrades. The samurai needs to be polite in every situation. The samurai needs to be honest and respectful. The samurai needs to be loyal to his lord. The samurai will always defend his honor."

Naruto didn't have much time to learn more so, and his was disappointed by that. He looked up to see Arturia was enraptured by his little info dump on her, "I see, so the samurai of your lands live very similarly to us knights." Turning back to the road, as it hid her face from everyone's view, a small smile graced her features, "I hope you can tell me more of your homeland when we have the time to talk."

Now Naruto wasn't too sure if he could tell her too much, but given how interested she was, he felt that he could indulge Arturia without saying he was from another world, "Not a problem, my King."

Ector had his own misgivings about Naruto, but slowly he was warming up to the lad.

Night fell and Arturia gave the order for them to set up camp to eat and sleep, while having some of the senior knights and volunteers train the recruits that came with them with lit lanterns and poles to light up the place.

This gave Naruto the chance to begin his first lesson with Merlin as he stepped into the magus' tent, seeing him already going through a book of sorts unsure of what subject it was, "Ah! You're here; good. While tonight we may not be able to do too much, I can get a better understanding of what you can use." Merlin gestured for Naruto to step forward as his right palm emanated a lime green glow that began to wash over Naruto as Merlin spoke, "Since you have some of the basics down, I'm going to see what your origin and element is to gain a better understanding. However I'd like you to explain just how you managed that duplication ability on your own without an existing Thaumaturgical foundation."

Naruto nodded as Merlin continued his 'scan', "It's a Ninjutsu that I used with my chakra. Chakra's a combination me using my physical and spiritual energy together, and the handsigns help direct the Jutsu into whatever it is that I want."

Melrin hummed as he filed the info away for later as his palm no longer glowed the lime green, "From what I see, your origin is Life, being the Immaterial, and your element is Nonexistence, the Material **(4)**. In short, you can learn everything there is from me, just like I thought." He placed his hands together in a form of mock handsign that Naruto had made as he continued, "Given that Prana and Od are both formed of Lifeforce, it may be easier to think of your 'Jutsu' as a form of Magecraft, where the handsigns…" bringing his hands up as the example, "…are used to kneed the Prana instead of Chakra."

The two heard that things were settling down outside the tent, Merlin ushered for Naruto to head back and get some sleep, otherwise Arturia would scold them both on how their lack of sleep caused them to slog behind.

* * *

As everyone settled in for the night, Naruto headed back to his tent which was pitched up next to Arturia's own with the light inside of it already out, signifying that she was fast asleep.

Naruto was drifting into sleep, but suddenly he felt something… foul… just outside the camp. But it wasn't being directed towards him… but at Arturia's tent…

Grabbing a kunai, Naruto rushed out through the camp as quietly as he could to ensure that no one would be disturbed by what would no doubt be a dangerous confrontation between him and this potential enemy.

Rushing through the forest, he found himself within an open field, with what looked like a woman. If ever there was a personification of the term 'tainted perfection' then this woman was it, her body was short and pale, the shade of melted candle wax. Her bust was not substantial but was easily a high B cup that was wrapped in a black dress of irregular design with blue highlights running along its length. Long platinum blonde hair of inhuman perfection hung from the apex of her head to the zenith of the thighs in a waterfall of silvery tresses. There was a cut out in her dress that revealed her navel and Fae symbols sketched into her skin like a set of tattoos meeting up with one large one at her sternum, all in blood red. An obsidian crown was perched atop her head connected to a translucent black veil. The light of the full moon caught in just so letting Naruto see the woman's face in detail, enough to see that she was almost a doppelgänger for Arturia… almost. Where Arturia's face was rounded and benign, this woman's was sharp and cruel, her lips caught midway between a sneer and a smirk. Her eyes were green with a lingering darkness hiding just beyond the senses.

"I was wondering if you would come." Her voice sounded like sweet succulent desire in of itself, "I'm curious though, what is a vampire doing in that girl's company?"

Narrowing his eyes, Naruto gripped the kunai, ready to strike at the woman's throat, but he wasn't sure that he could do it unscathed given how relaxed the woman appeared, "I don't see how that's your business." Naruto's experience with what he assumed was a Fae, judging by her 'feeling' and the Fae symbols, was not good, many of the ones he encountered took a rather sadistic pleasure in tormenting people for amusement.

The woman waved it off as if it were nothing, "Call me curious, I'm always interested in who my dear little sister keeps around her." Naruto wasn't sure what to feel about that little reveal, but only furthered him to be on edge.

"She's your sister?"

"Morgan le Fay, at your service." Giving a mock hand out as if he wanted her to take it, but instead he stayed where he was, unsure of what she was planning, "And if I might add, someone as strong as yourself shouldn't lower themselves to follow someone as weak as Arturia." She gave a sultry smile as if she was trying to seduce Naruto, "If you know how things really are, why not join me instead?" He wasn't sure if she had planned this or not, but it felt as if she was trying to charm him.

Well… he sure as hell wasn't going to fall for that crap, "Sorry…" Naruto smirked at Morgan, "…but you don't strike me as a leader who's worthy for the throne, or worth following for that matter. Not only that, I have a feeling you've got different plans for the country than what Arturia wants for the people."

Morgan scoffed at his words, "Oh please. That little girl hardly knows what's best for Britain, the throne is mine by rights. She was a bastard from the start, and she has nothing but childish dreams. The only reason she was born was for that the red dragon's power would be used to put down all of the invaders and kill that idiot uncle of ours up to the north who somehow managed to obtain the white dragon's power. Not that he even knows how to use it properly…" Morgan licked her lips like a predator ready to pounce on her prey, "…I can offer you far more than she ever could. Even the throne since the sword clearly preferred you over her…" So, she too saw that little incident, "… even myself if you'd like." **(5)** She was clearly trying to use her sexuality to her benefit, and she wasn't bad at it. If Naruto were younger, he probably would've fallen for it with some struggle to resist, but thankfully that old pervert taught him to resist such things.

"I think you should leave before something happens that we both will regret." Naruto was prepared to strike, even if she managed to have something in play against him, though Morgan's expression changed into that of a calm political player.

"Oh…?" Snapping her fingers, a magic seal appeared between them with a projection of Arturia sleeping soundly appearing, "Do you really think I came here unprepared? What's to stop me from having my own fun with her while we're talking right now?"

"Me."

That actually gave Morgan pause as she tried to contemplate his response, "Excuse me?"

Naruto wasn't going to hold back, "You heard what I said. Me. You clearly wanted something from me, well you won't get it. I have seen empires rise and fall, battled gods and demons that would make you run for the hills, little spriggan **(6)**. I faced the Ultimate One of the Moon and lived to tell the tale. I'll slit your throat if I have to keep Arturia from staining her hands with your blood, she shouldn't have to. It's beneath her." Naruto bore into Morgan's eyes making his threat very clear to her.

Touch her and you die. Your too slow and I'm a lot faster than you think.

Before long, Morgan dipped her head with the shadows of the night obscuring her face and began to laugh out loud at what he just said, "He…hehe…HAHAHAHAHAHA! So, my sister has already turned you into a cuck! Well, well, well… I can see it already. She's captured you and instilled fierce loyalty!" Snapping her fingers, the projection vanished as Morgan got up from the rock she was sitting on and faded away into smoke that withered away but her voice remained.

"You can enjoy the time you have with her right now, but know this…"

Naruto then felt a pair of hands and arms wrap themselves around his body, with one going to his chest and the other slowly making its way down to his manhood, and he heard Morgan speak once again, "…I always get what I want in the end." She gave a slight bite on his ear as if she was showing affection; a clear mocking sign to him.

Naruto twisted around to see that Morgan faded into smoke once again and vanished for good this time. Feeling the urgent matter to get back to camp, Naruto rushed to Arturia's tent to open and see that all was well. Sighing in relief, Naruto decided to always keep his tent right next to hers when they camped, regardless of what was told of him.

He would ask Merlin in private of what happened out of Arturia's sight and hearing, not wanting to have her concern over what her sister tried tonight.

* * *

_Codex Apostletos_

_Taken from the notes of L. Bartholmeloi_

_Subject: Naruto Uzumaki_

_Entry number: 2_

_One point of interest for myself and others of a more... reproductive inclination in the Association is the nature of Naruto Uzumaki's Thaumatrugal Foundation and Magic Circuits. I am unsure if such things could be passed on to the next generation in the form of a crest or if Uzumaki could even reproduce due to his status as an Apostle. Origin and Element are one of the few widely known facts about Naruto Uzumaki amongst the Clock Tower higher ups with only those of the rank Brand and above being able to view them. His Origin is Life (Immaterial) and what I believe to be the reason for his lack of vampiric impulses, we know that since Brunestud originally created the True Ancestors and they subsequently began to feed the creation of Dead Apostles was born out of... apology. A form of impure immortality conferred upon the food source as compensation for feeding the lusts of Brunestuds's 'children' with a requirement that Blood -the life-giving liquid- be consumed to maintain them. I believe that given the fact that Naruto Uzumaki's body seems to be in a constant state of adaption while adhering to what makes him 'him' means that his Origin was able to 'trick' the fact. Vampiric impulses do not manifest due to the fact that the insighting need i.e. liquid that contains life (blood) is already been fed by his own Origin of Life (Immaterial). It is likely to assume that this trait has passed on to any that he would sire as is the case with [REDACTED]_

_His odd Thaumatrugal Foundation seems to be based off of his element of Nothingness (Material) where he converts the prana in his body into anything that he needs so long as he can formulate the in between steps. Aria's used for molding prana into the required form for a spell can be used in tandem with him weaving hand signs to set off multi layered Thaumatrugy of varying element or nature as it comes from 'nothing' yet still exists. Given his level of Mystery it is not that farfetched to believe that he may be able to deploy the phenomena known as Divine Words._

_In regards to his circuits as a whole it is not correct to refer to them as magic circuits, rather they are a Reversion to the Age of Gods of a composition that has only ever been recorded in the Sajyou family several decades ago. I would estimate their quantity at A and their quality at EX in comparison to the only other well documented record we have on Regression to the Age of Gods, Lugh Beowulf. Coincidentally Lugh Beowulf's former 'owner', Touko Aozaki is a recorded acquaintance of Uzumaki after the "incident" in July of [REDACTED]._

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**Done! I almost got carpal tunnel from trying to finish this up as quickly as possible for my beta, but it was worth it.**

**(1) While yes, the Roman Empire had all but left Britain by 400 AD there was still an emperor on the throne by the time Uther was King of England and seeing as it is believed that Arthur is a descendant of the ****Romans**** it is not that far fetched to believe that Uther knew either Emperor Libius Severus or Anthemius.**

**(2) While we know that Hagoromo was born about a millennia before Naruto's time we have no real idea when Kaguya actually got here or how long she reigned before giving birth to her sons. And don't sight the "Land of Ancestors" arc from the anime cause its filler.**

**(3) Naruto has a rather large threat level against both the planet and the people of earth, so much so that too many duplicates would insight the counter force to start purging them. A rule of thumb is the higher that Naruto pushes his power beyond a certain point the harder the counter force pushes back.**

**(4) Naruto's Origin and element are based on a few different factors, his Uzumaki vitality, the mass boost to said vitality by Kurama, the boost to that already ridiculous Vitality by Sage Mode and the Godlike boost given by Six Paths. His Element is nothing to do with Akasha, rather it is the fact that he is able to convert nothing into something which is the basis of Jutsu and the sublimation of Naruto attaining TSO's... nothiness made out of something. Basically it allows Naruto a lot of free reign when it comes to Magecraft.**

**(5) If you have ever actually read Arthurian Legend (and trust me, my friend SliferMK2 has) then you would know that Morgan le Fay has a crap ton of lovers so her actions here aren't baseless.**

**(6) A Spriggan is an ugly fairy**

**A new chapter finished so quickly you might say? Well, the synopsis has been completed for quite some time now and it's helped out greatly.**

**I should also address some potential concerns with Naruto in this chapter that may have given off the wrong impressions. Naruto is neither submissive or a masochist. The latter was a joke so don't take that seriously, and the former well Naruto isn't submissive to Arturia. He is subservient to her out of respect for her, but the next chapter will showcase that he isn't submissive.**

**Anyways, let me know what you guys think in reviews; be sure to tell me what all you liked and or disliked about this chapter as it helps get a better understanding to what you guys like to read here.**

**So continue to read, review, favorite and follow this story as well as my other stories on my profile, until next time!**


	3. Chapter 2: The Rise of Camelot Part II

**Well, back with a new chapter so soon? Absolutely! The Fate series has been a growing obsession of mine and I'm fascinated by it. Having watched the anime's, I wish that the universe could've been picked up years ago back when the first Fate/stay night series hit tv by Studio DEEN.**

**But then again given how fan reaction to it wasn't very receptive, it made sense for studio's to stay away from it for a while before the masters at Ufotable picked it up with the Zero adaption and Unlimited Blade Works route, people loved the fuck out of it, spawning a few more series with Netflix getting involved with the production of Fate/Apocrypha and Fate/Extra Last Encore.**

**Now with Ufotable's Heaven's Feel route done as an anime film trilogy (though I would've preferred an anime series but either way…), one has to wonder if they will pick up the Fate route and remake it but make it more faithful to the visual novel, but also expand upon it with the new info sources that have been created since '06?**

**Honestly, I feel that it should be redone under Ufotable,'s direction since it would make sense since they've done Fate/Zero (a masterpiece of an anime series) the prequel; Unlimited Blade Works being route #2, and now they're almost done with Heaven's Feel, route #3. Going back to Fate, route #1, but using the new sources created such as Garden of Avalon amongst other things to expand on Arturia's backstory more so, along with the Last Episode from Realta Nua as the epilogue to the series. The author himself even stated that he wanted to go back and rewrite it a bit admitting that it could've been much better, so hopefully they do decide on this to be their next major project but make it an actual series instead of films.**

**After that they could do Fate/hollow ataraxia and finish the stay night universe up with a nice bow on top, all packaged together in a super sexy blu-ray collector's set!**

**Ok, moving on to reviews that I wasn't able to respond to, contact, etc. –**

**BigBlimpin – I'm glad you like the story so far, and yes Naruto is powerful in his own right, but there are things in Type-Moon that are even more powerful than he is, and giving him some of that power for him to train and adapt to will help him maintain an edge against his enemies.**

**Hawkeyestratos1996 – Glad that you like this, and I plan to continue :)**

**Markus-Antonius – Yeah, the Arthurian Legend of TYPE-MOON is a pretty interesting, though I really wish that they would do an anime that tells the rise and fall of Camelot from Arturia's perspective as well as others displayed like in the Garden of Avalon. But here's the next chapter :)**

**DepressedNinja75 – Thank you, having Naruto move through the ages without going on an old idea such as 'through Kurama' is a stale thing to use. Thus, when SliferMK2 helped out, Naruto became a vampire.**

**Orchamus – Yeah, Naruto never did say he would follow the chivalric code, just merely admitting to himself that it was admirable of Arturia to stick to her code. Though since he is her retainer, he will be showing her just how far it will get her, especially in this chapter with the upcoming battle.**

**Stratos263 – You'll have to keep reading to see :)**

**fairy tail's storm king – Oh, I know about Morgan's blackening magic and what it entails, and that will come into play later down the line.**

**GamerX568 – From my understanding, Filler isn't Canon, it's merely made to give the author time to keep the manga going when the anime catches up to that point. As for being approved by the creator, I don't know if that's true or not, though they do sometimes write Filler arcs or pieces of them for the studio to use, but they aren't official canon. To my knowledge the only thing in Naruto filler that became canon was Raiga Kurosuki and the Kiba blades.**

**Issei ODR – I'm not sure what it is that you're saying, sorry :/**

**Guest; Chapter 1, May 9th – Thank you, and I intend to.**

**Guest; Chapter 2, May 9th – Being pretty picky about what Naruto wears aren't we?**

**Guest; Chapter 2, May 9th – Like I said before, TYPE-MOON never created a coherent timeline for their Arthurian Legend, so the people that lived during the rise and fall of Camelot is up for debate, and thus character's status are up for creative freedom. Like I said before, I'm not spitting in canon lovers faces, I'm merely trying to create a better story.**

**Guest, Chapter 1, May 9th – Thanx, the switching between timeframes was done to help establish Naruto's place within the overall story.**

**Spark681 – Thanx, and what happens next… well, here it comes :D !**

**AnimeA55Kicker \- Arturia getting off on being submissive? Hmm... not sure about that...**

**Now, on with the story!**

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Chapter 2: The Rise of Camelot Part II

-Late November, 467 AD-

The weak autumnal morning sun rose with the new day's beginning, with Arturia's small army starting their day off with breakfast and exercise while Naruto himself was trying to prepare his own out of sight in his tent. Over the course of the last few weeks of travel towards the River Glein more bannermen and their forces had declared for Arturia, swelling their small band of warriors to just over 1500. Suffice to say, Naruto managed to procure a few things for himself and using what he could get a hold of and made some scrambled eggs and toast.

Being alive for almost a century taught him that he had to be self-dependent and he had to cook his own food.

At least those tribes he met on the other side of the world were kind enough to teach him with hunting and gathering, along with preserving food for long trips. Cooking was something he had to pick up back when he was with Jiraiya since they didn't eat out a lot, preferring to make their own food instead from vendors or fishing from the rivers.

Given how he intended to showcase ramen to the others, he felt that the least he could do right now before the upcoming battle was share his breakfast with Arturia. Then again despite Britain being a rich and verdant ground with much greenland for growth, some of the ingredients for the Naruto's personal Ambrosia simply didn't exist... yet. Covering up his plate to keep it concealed, Naruto stepped out of his tent to go right next entry to open the flap slightly as to not intrude on Arturia's privacy, "May I come on?"

"You may enter." Her voice came through, not sounding the least bit bothered. Naruto stepped in to see that Arturia had yet to tie her hair up in the bun that she normally had to help conceal her gender, all the while she had been fully dressed, bar her armor. Sitting on her makeshift bed, Arturia had her breakfast on a crate in front of her. Arturia was eating what looked like some bread, fruits and oats along with some breakfast meat all of which were in a large quantity showing that she certainly was a glutton like himself. Although he eventually learned to control his appetite. Arturia turned to Naruto, "Yes, Naruto?"

Naruto took a stool over to sit next to her as he uncovered his breakfast for her to gaze at it in wonder, "What's that?" Naruto took her unused fork and stuck it in the eggs and handed it back to her.

"This is scrambled eggs and toast. Picked up the habit from a Roman legionary I met down in Libya." Arturia took the fork and brought the egg up to her nose to smell it since usually eggs were hard boiled or fried, "Well go ahead; try it. It's not bad or anything." Hesitating slightly to take the bite, Arturia slowly inched the egg into her open mouth and bit down to eat it. At first, Arturia's face seemed neutral, that is until she really began to taste the egg with the seasoning and flavor within. Her eyes widened in excitement as she actually started to begin shoveling the eggs into her mouth, "Uh, my king. That's my… breakfast…" The only thing left was the toast, but that didn't last long with Arturia swiping it up as well.

Before he knew it, Arturia had stuffed her face with his breakfast with a satisfied smile on her face all the while Naruto's mouth moved up in down in stupor at what just happened, "Wha… bu… my breakfast… eggs and toast… all gone…"

Arturia turned to Naruto with satisfaction, "Can you make more?"

"Y-yeah bu—"

"Then you can make more for the both of us." Naruto's mourning of his precious food stopped when she said that causing him to raise a brow.

"Wait, what?"

"You can make more of these scrambled eggs and toast for you and I." Arturia clarified for Naruto.

After tasting that goodness, well… one can't really blame her for being selfish… just a teensy bit…

Naruto now being forced to head back over to his tent, he contemplated that maybe this wasn't the best course of action to start introducing Arturia to the food he ate, "Ok then, I'll head next door to my tent and… start things up again."

Arturia nodded, "Be sure to make enough for the both of us tomorrow morning, after all: hunger is the enemy!" She exclaimed, that is before she gestured for Naruto to stop briefly, "Naruto, before you leave, will you help me with something?"

Of course, he was going to help her. It was in his nature. That and given that his king asked him, he couldn't refuse her, "Of course, what is it?"

Arturia turned around with her back facing the ninja, "Would you please help with my hair?" She reached over to take a blue ribbon and glanced back to give it to Naruto, "I didn't apply it before eating and since you've entered my tent, it would be best if it were done quickly before anyone unaware of my status as a woman were discovered." Naruto understood that her position as a woman in the guise of a king would immediately dethrone her and ruin her reputation, standing and status as a leader in Britain.

Taking the ribbon, Naruto began tying her hair in the bun as she sat perfectly still for him to do his work. Feeling that he should probably clarify something with Arturia, particularly who knew her true gender, "So, uhm… Art—I'm mean my king. May I ask you something?"

"Of course, what is it that you wanted to know?"

"Well, I was kinda wondering who else knew your secret? I mean, I get that Ector and Kay know since you grew up in their house. I get Merlin since he pretty much knows things that no one else does." Then Naruto's mind turned to the other close confidants of hers, "What about Gawain and Bedivere? Do they know?" Naruto could sense that she was relaxed, getting the gist of her forthcoming answer.

"My nephew Gawain is aware of my gender, as is Bedivere **(1)**. Gawain knew not long after he had joined up with us to the tournament back on Sir Ector's lands, as his father asked us to take care of him." Naruto was wrapping her hair up as she continued, "As for Bedivere, he learned not too long after a practice match together. I let my guard down for a moment and he quickly took advantage leading to a blow that, well… left me in a position that revealed myself…" From the way she put it, it was pretty embarrassing from what Naruto guessed.

Though there was something that Naruto caught in her sentence concerning Gawain, "What happened to Gawain's mom?" He felt her stiffen up at that.

Not good.

By this time Naruto had finish tying the bow to secure her hair, "…she is no longer a part of his life, or our family."

"Oh, I'm sorry…" Now he felt like crap after asking that.

"Don't be." Arturia stood up and turned to Naruto with a neutral expression, but he could feel the distaste in her words at speaking of this woman, "His mother is cruel and sadistic. Nothing more, nothing less. But let us speak no more of this…" Her voice gaining a more upbeat tone along with her facial features adorning a more positive feature, "…we have time to prepare for the upcoming battle, and I would like to hear more of your homeland after our victory." Walking past Naruto, Arturia placed a hand on his shoulder and turned to glance at her newest retainer, "And don't forget to eat."

And with that, Arturia left her tent to begin making preparations for their first battle… leaving a Naruto that was still hungry…

All he could do was stare at the empty plates that she ate off of, and the one he brought with him to share, "Man, she's a glutton."

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After getting dressed and finishing breakfast back in his tent, after having to fix it… again… Naruto decided to head to Merlin to ask him a few questions; especially after last night with those little revealing lines by Morgan. Morgan was her sister, which led Naruto to suspect that she was also Gawain's mother after how short and poorly Arturia talked about the subject. Her uncle was Vortigern and made a coup to kill his brother to take power, and somehow managed to gain the power of a 'White Dragon'; and then there was Arturia's 'Red Dragon' power. Was she a host to it like Kurama was to him? And then there were the subjects of his Origin and Element, along with the rest of his training to be conducted under the magus.

Walking through their encampment, Naruto received several nods along with a few brief waves from a few of the knights of their small army. They were either training with one another, reading arrows and bows, sharpening their swords, eating leftover breakfast or getting their armor set for battle. Naruto sent his Shadow Clones out to take not of their enemy's numbers, armaments, positions, etc. for preparations.

Naruto could only wonder just how prepared some of the younger, inexperienced men for war. Memories of the Fourth Ninja War came flashing back after all these years with the bodies piling up before he and Killer B came around to help turn the tide in their favor, but still… too many were killed for the sake of a 'dream' that would only kill them in the end. Although he had also seen his fair share of wars in this world, and while not as explosive as his own they dragged on for longer and brought misery to all.

Pushing old memories aside, he came up to Merlin's tent as he opened the flap up to see Merlin finishing up some reading in a textbook; the magus didn't direct his attention towards Naruto yet, but acknowledged his presence nonetheless, "Hello there, my young apprentice. What brings you here so early in the day, we still have a battle to prepare for. Or rather I should say that you do."

Merlin kept reading away, no doubt deciding on where to start Naruto off in his training, though the ninja wanted to get some clarification and answers, "Yeah, I'm sure I do though since we're still a ways away, and I sent my Shadow Clones out to scout the encampment we've got time. I've got a couple of questions if you don't mind me asking before things get bloody out there."

Closing the book with his reading hand, Merlin placed it on his bed as he turned his attention to Naruto, "Certainly, what would you like to know?" His carefree attitude ever present on his face.

Knowing that his teacher was going to ask him on the how he found out, he made sure to give him an account when he would ask, "Is Morgan le Fay really Arturia's sister?" The previous expression he held before dropped immediately as Merlin waved his hand to the tent flap for it to close as he gazed at Naruto.

"How did you come by that information?" Merlin knew that Arturia's sister had it out for her since birth, seeing that she was born properly to what would be her inheritance of the throne. For Naruto, a foreigner to find that very well-kept hidden information was very concerning.

Naruto took a seat on a crate that Merlin gestured for him to pull up, and began explaining to the wizard the previous week's events, "She decided to make an 'invitation' -and I use that term lightly- to me to join her by threatening Arturia. So, I threatened her back and she disappeared while taunting me. Turns out, you and Arturia weren't the only ones to see me attempt to pull that sword out." Shrugging his shoulders after thinking he made a mistake with the threat, "Guess she figures she can still get to me even with what happened between us."

Merlin closed his eyes as he shook his head, "I must be slipping a little if I could not feel her dark presence. Either that or she's managed to perfect her usage in _that_ magecraft." Opening his eyes, he bore into Naruto's own who seemed to realize that he didn't take the right steps in pushing the Fae away, "Regardless, you shouldn't have threatened her. Now she will have her sights on you at all times." Merlin knew all too well just how dangerous Morgan could be.

Fate had a habit of spitting out equals and opposites in regards to who held power in the world and Merlin knew that while he could be regarded as Britain's 'shining' Magus of Flowers, then Morgan was the 'shadowed' fairy that darted between them. His equal in the arcane.

Naruto nodded as he silently admitted his mistake, but with Morgan having something prepared to hurt Arturia, his emotions got the better of him and like he would always do; mouth off without thinking things through, "Yeah, it also doesn't help that she tried to grab my crotch before she left." Merlin's eyes widened a margin before returning to normal, not sure what the magus thought of that.

"Not exactly standard evening conduct for a lady…" he quipped lightly before closing his book with an audible snap. "But there is a precedent for such things, Morgan has thrown herself at many men over the years under various guises including the fictitious Morgause persona to a nymph by the shore. But she came to you in her true form?" Merlin finally rose from his seat to approach the Dead Apostle.

"In that case, be extra careful." Clasping his hands together as he covered his mouth, Merlin leaned in before continuing, "Morgan is a shapeshifter capable of disguising herself as any person she wishes. If she decided that you've captured her interest; not just general, but sexual interest…" Taking a deep breath before continuing, "…she may try to bed you for reasons that will benefit no one but herself."

Naruto shivered at the thought of the Fae forcing him to the bed and raping him for whatever reason, even if it was just to have fun or annoy the ninja. Feeling the need to better understand Morgan, Naruto probed further, "Just who is Morgan exactly?"

"Morgan le Fay is technically speaking the rightful heir to the throne of Uther Pendragon; Arturia's older sister and mother to young Gawain, as well as a few others." Rubbing his temples, Merlin continued on with her background, "She is extremely clever… nearly as clever as she believes herself to be, and she's a practitioner of the dark arts; very powerful, but very dangerous as well. Since her discovery of her Fae heritage, her power has only grown. Enough to match me in terms of magical power." Morgan had inherited the primeval curse that lurks with the British Isles in the form of her supernatural blood that had supposedly died with Uther, but it seemed that fate said otherwise.

Naruto didn't know too much about magic, but when someone practiced that was called 'Dark', it was extremely dangerous in his experience, "So her heart's as black as she feels."

"Yes." Merlin agreed with Naruto, "And she will stop at nothing to dethrone her sister."

Merlin caught that Naruto's hand twitched slightly to indicate anger. Perhaps some previous experience he thought. Naruto having already gotten the gist of Morgan moved onto the next subject, "Alright, and what about her uncle, Vortigern? Morgan mentioned that he has the power of the 'White Dragon' in him."

Merlin nodded as he gazed to the side, "She certainly has a mouth on her…" mumbling to himself before he turned back to Naruto, "Yes. Vortigern is their uncle, and he killed Uther not long after Arturia was born. You have to understand that as Humanity grows more competent in the absence of Gods walking the earth, the amount of "mystery" within the world as a whole begins to dip. There are those who wield powers from time immemorial that fear this radical change can lead only to destruction. Vortigern is one of these people. He deposed Uther due to feeling that Britain was doomed in the hands of 'regular humans'." Shaking his head, Merlin could only feel sorry for those in Vortigern's lands, "As for his ownership of the power of the White Dragon, she's not wrong on that count."

Merlin conjured up an apparition of a large white dragon in between them, "Dragons hold immense power, power worthy to be attributed to the supreme phantasmal species and those who can obtain it; the blood of dragons that is, they achieve their attributes and power. It enables them to gain the power to either inspire their allies, or strike fear into the hearts of their enemies. It gives them skin that is as tough as a dragon's hide; to perceive events that which have yet to occur; or even become a dragon themselves. Among all dragons, the Red & White dragons were known to dwell within Britain, stubbornly persistent beneath Mount Emrys long after the Age of Gods had ended."

Kurama had been listening intently at this point, with the Tailed Beast also curious about the subject, _**'****I'm getting some déjà vu here.'**_

_'Yeah, a little too much like us.' _The ninja agreeing with his partner on the matter.

Naruto understood now about the benefits of having their power. It was like becoming a Jinchuriki; gaining immense power by holding within the power of something immense and primal, "So how did he manage to get his hands on the White Dragon's power? And what about Arturia and her Red Dragon power?" He recalled the Red Dragon that appeared behind her back when she pulled Caliburn after making her speech to the people. The presence it held was immense and he could feel as if the creature was right behind her, daring anyone to say otherwise.

"I'm not quite sure how Vortigern obtained the White Dragon's power, although I suspect he managed to come by it's blood and merely drank it. I have heard rumors that he keeps a drake beneath his castle, chained and half mad." Merlin took a book from his stack while he opened it up to a page showcasing a ritual of sorts with a dragon and a woman, handing it to Naruto for him to see, "As for Arturia, well that's actually something that I had done at the behest of her father." Naruto couldn't fully understand the text, but the ritual itself of the blood running from the dragon into the woman he understood a bit, "Uther asked me to imbue his child with the 'Factor of a Dragon', but I needed a woman who could withstand the ritual and was of noble blood. And so, the woman best suited was the Lady Igraine; the wife of Uther's servant, the Duke of Cornwall."

"Upon the ritual's conclusion, the child that laid in her belly was indeed Arturia, but she was not born from the union of the king and queen, rather from a noblewoman of another family." Naruto turned the page to see the dragon behind a young child, "When Arturia was born, she was born not with magic circuits that we magi have, rather, she was born with the heart and blood of a Holy Dragon, beating and flowing within her body. Gifting her with a mana core that makes her leagues above others as well as her potential for becoming a magus." Merlin paused momentarily before he began to chuckle, "Though she had such impatience during training. Little Arturia never bothered to learn magecraft—_'Magic is too hard to learn, just teach me to use my mana to improve what I already have'_—she could never stay put for long and she tried a few times to take swipe at me with her practice sword."

"I suppose my own ineptitude with long incantations may be a contributing factor, she took my advice of 'smack it with a sword' to heart." Merlin raised his voice to mimic a little girl's when he repeated what Arturia told him during her training. Naruto chuckled at the image of an angry Arturia chasing Merlin down with a wooden sword that he found all to hilarious.

Calming down as Naruto closed the book to hand back to Merlin, "Now it makes sense. It takes a dragon, to kill a dragon." Crossing his arms, he mulled it over before wondering what exactly she gained as a result from the ritual, "Since she has the heart and blood of a dragon, what were all the pros and cons that came with it?"

"Her dragon blood has gifted her with great magical resistance against many things, although she is unable to resist the True Magics, and members of the Divine Phantasmal Species can overwhelm her. Although I suspect that some magics from the Age of Gods would be ineffective against her." Placing a hand to his chin in thought. Dragons were among the top Phantasmal Species and considered rightly so; although given how rare the Age of Gods Magecraft was, it'd be difficult to fully ascertain her capacity to resist such magics.

"There's always a trade-off like that." Naruto said, "Something's always bigger and badder around the corner." Even though Naruto knew that Kurama was considered to be the strongest of the Tailed Beasts, the Ten-Tails and Kaguya were far more powerful. The Uchiha had the capacity to subjugate the Tailed Beast with their Sharingan to control their wills.

Merlin nodded in agreement, "Quite so. Then she has the ability to augment her body with her mana to make her faster, stronger and far more durable than anyone else in the battlefield. Her Mana Burst ability helps compensate for her lack of strength, with being able to send her enemies flying away or repelling projectiles whether they be magic or material weapons, or even act as a shield for her."

To Naruto, that sounded a lot like…

_**'A chakra cloak or at least an internal one. That's what it seems to me. No wonder she's so confident.'**_ Kurama pointed out to him. His chakra cloak was able to perform almost all that which Merlin stated that Arturia's Mana Burst could do.

"Sounds pretty familiar." Naruto mumbled to himself, though Merlin caught on and figured his apprentice would reveal that in time. Turning his attention back to Merlin, he raised a question about what he was informed of last night, "Last night you told me my Origin was Life, and my Element was Nonexistence. What did that all mean?"

Merlin hummed with the question sitting down to begin explaining, "Well I should probably explain Akasha to you. You see, Akasha is the swirl of the Root; the center of all creation from which all information, people, power and many… many things originate from, and all magi are in pursuit of it. Whether it is to obtain the True Magics or view the records stored there. When any soul is brought into existence, they are ejected from the Root with a single defining trait at the core of their being that defines who they are. This is what is known as the Origin of a person and its effects how and what they're capable of in regards to Magecraft."

Naruto payed attention intently to his sensei's words, "Element on the other hand is the indicator of what you are predisposed to as a magus. There are the five main elements: Fire, Earth, Water, Wind and Ether or Void as it's sometimes referred to. Then there's the sixth imaginary element that can literally be anything from something as disgusting as Urine to an abstract concept like yourself."

Naruto had no idea about this sixth element, although… given what Merlin said about his Element, "I would've thought that my Element was Wind since I used it for so long." Kakashi-sensei and Asuma-sensei helped him refine his change in nature to perfect the Rasenshuriken in combat, and the added benefit of Pa's Senjutsu training made it even more powerful to boot.

"Your Element is Nothingness (Material), a hold over from your..'Jutsu' as you call it. You take the physical nothingness and convert it into a material. Wind may just be the first thing that manifested from the Nothingness of your Element." The magus clarified for the ninja, "You see, Magecraft comes from various Thaumaturgical foundations that use different methods to create the miracles that are possible through them." Now Merlin was giving Naruto a history lesson as well, "The primary foundation used by most mages were those set in place by King Solomon, the King of Magic in 950 BC to allow for more people to use it. The general rule of thumb is that the less people know about it, the more powerful it becomes; however, the more people believe in it, the more stable it is."

Naruto seemed confused by the whole rule that Merlin explained. It sounded all too contradicting. But he supposed that it was based on the fact that Jutsu and Magecraft had different rules from one another. Where Magecraft is based on mystery and wonder with many unable to explain it, Jutsu was based on discovering and explaining the intricacies behind it for others to breakdown, analyze and expand on it so others could replicate the feat.

"So, what all exactly are the types of Magecratf? Are there any schools people go to for that stuff?" Merlin chuckled slightly at the question.

"Nothing so assembled as that exists just yet, though there are Mage's Associations across the known world there is no actual base in Britain as of yet. I have heard of a gathering in London that should be putting that together when they manage to gather enough members and families." Waving that off as if it were just a secondary thing, Merlin continued on, "As for the types of Magecraft. We refer to them as schools in the sense of a broad subject that delves into sub-sections to be explored further. There's Conjuration, Illusion, Alchemy, Invocation, Summoning, Elemental Manipulation, Contracts, Bounded Field Creation, Mystic Code Creation, Curses, Healing, Geocraft, Runes, Necromancy, Formulacraft, Witchcraft and many other esoteric forms."

He went on to explain that there were many other skills that didn't belong to any particular branch of Magecraft but were still used to assist and Naruto may help build on what he already knew with Shadow Clones. The two that Merlin explained in detail were Thought Acceleration and Memory Partition to accelerate and categorize that which Merlin wished to teach him. The sun had risen to its zenith in the sky by the time the explanation had come to an end.

Naruto was floored by just how broad the scope that Magecraft had, "That's… wow. I had a feeling Magecraft had a lot of subjects, but that many? Sheesh, it's gonna take a while to get it all down even with Shadow Clones."

Merlin hummed at that, "You can potentially learn things that I may be able to teach you; but if you intend to learn of the things from the Age of Gods, you'll have to figure that out on your own." Mysteries from that time were beyond his skill level, despite how much he tried to research it.

Naruto saw that he had quite the ways to go in learning; the best thing he figured he could do right now was learn what sounded similar to Jutsu right now, "Ok then, so… any chance we can start with Elemental Manipulation? It's one of the subjects that Jutsu has in common with Magic."

"Certainly!" Merlin exclaimed in excitement with Naruto inwardly eager to begin. "Now one of the better methods at our disposal may be building on what you already have into your own Thaumaturgical foundation. For example no one knows the mechanics of your 'Jutsu' in this land but in your home you mentioned that it was known by many. Assuming that the land's denizen count was comparable to our own then it should hold both great power and stability here"

Merlin ran Naruto through the steps of teaching Naruto the theory side of Magecraft and while Naruto may have once chose to snap his own neck instead of sit through a lecture, he was far older than he looked. With age comes wisdom and patience. Both of which were being exercised to try and ingrain himself with this new system. Naruto found that if he could imagine the element and size he wanted to create then he could form it with the appropriate application of Aria and Prana molding. Concept, Method, End Result. It was simple but effective.

In some cases _too _effective given that a minor flame mystery had ended up burning a hole in Merlin's tent. Bedivere and Gawain had been sparring against some of the newer recruits in order to give them some pointers when they had been witness to a thin pillar of fire burst from near the center of camp, skyrocketing to a height of three hundred and fifty feet before dissipating like a snuffed candle. A few of the more green recruits had run for cover and blamed god's wrath. Others had grabbed their swords and armor to run to the King's aid.

"Everyone! Be still and calm, 'tis only the Court Magus experimenting with some battle tactics, be at ease." Gawain shouted, raising his hand to call attention to himself before pointing back to the practice dummies. "Those of you who are new, get used to Merlin's antics or you will end up sullying perfectly good armor, now back to work!" The shaggy haired swordsman looked to Bedivere who smiled serenely. "Merlin's new apprentice no doubt."

As Bedivere joined his fellow Knight in drills and time passed, Naruto continued to practice and refine what Merlin had taught him in the short amount of time until eventually he stood before a slightly soot covered Merlin with a stable gout of flame the size of a pomegranate between his palms.

"Well done, my dear apprentice." Merlin said happily. He watched as Naruto let the fire mystery wilt before fading from view to leave nothing more than a waft of warm air where it had once been. "Keep thinking outside of the box and you will without a doubt become a first rate Magus that will make those snobs of the Wandering Sea and Atlas green with envy." the white haired man finished, causing a small smile to bloom on Naruto's lips.

Although, Naruto suddenly felt a weight settle on his head. Trying to gaze up at whatever it was, Naruto saw what looked like a fluffy white… rabbit-dog thing? It had the features of both animals with the proportions of a squirrel and had made an appearance without Naruto being able to sense it. The creature looked down at him with inquisitive purple eyes while walking in small circles atop the crown of Naruto's skull before eventually settling down amongst the spiky golden tresses, closing its eyes to boot.

It seemed to be sleeping on his head now with the rhythmic breathing lightly rustling at his hair. Not wanting the damn thing on his head any longer, Naruto carefully inched his hand up to carefully pluck it from his head that is until Merlin waved a finger, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Naruto froze before he could move any further as he looked to Merlin for answers, "Little Fou there is one of the single most dangerous beings on the planet_ bar a_ _certain spider_…" Mumbling that last bit to himself, "…although given that Gaia is treating you in a similar vein he probably sees you as family."

Taking that bit of advice, Naruto turned his connection with nature towards the newly dubbed 'Fou' and saw that the white beastie was made almost entirely of natural energy of such a dense concentration it reminded Naruto of when he had first entered Sage Mode near the Ten Tails. Still, he attempted once more to at least touch the Cath Palug only to be swatted away by a fluffy tail when he got within three inches.

"I'm somewhat surprised, Fou can be a real diva at times and even attacks me from time to time for removing him from his home... you could call him a _cath-tastrophe." _Melin held out his arms as if waiting for praise for his truly awful joke. He pouted childishly when all that Naruto gave him was a thousand yard stare, something that Fou mirrored from his bed atop Naruto's hair. "So mean~"

"Great…" The ninja drooled as he sweat dropped.

* * *

After the lesson with Merlin -and getting rid of that little rabbit-dog thing thank God-, Naruto's Shadow Clones dispersed, and the knowledge came flooding back to him about the Saxons they were about to do battle with… and they weren't fully equipped to deal with them head on as they were.

Naruto went to Arturia who had called a war meeting for them to convene on what he discovered. Their war council was situated in a large tent with a few tables set up for their armaments and supplies to maintain their weapons and armor, while in the center stood the table with maps strewn about it. Naruto had been going over the enemy numbers and positions they had, along with what their armaments were and potential strategies that he and Arturia could employ against the Saxons.

Drawing up the positions, Arturia stood on his right while they waited for the others to arrive with Merlin sitting off to the side as war was not his forte, but he would provide counsel to Arturia if need by since this would be her first battle in their war to unite Britain.

Arturia studied what Naruto was drawing up for them, all the while she tried to come up with a strategy to emerge victorious. The clanking of metal boots came clunking through the flap of the tent as Ector came up to Arturia's own right side and stood next to her. Kay, Gawain and Bedivere followed through as Bedivere took up to Naruto's left while Kay and Gawain stood to Ector's right side.

"Oh, good. Everyone's here now. Now I've got the gist of what we're up against here." Naruto finished setting the Saxon positions on the landscape, while showing where their forces would enter into the battlefield, "From what I can tell about their numbers, they've got around two thousand men to battle against our fifteen hundred. Four distinct groups making up their overall troops."

Kay chuckled mirthfully, "We all knew it was going to be an uphill battle no matter what."

"What did the Saxons look like from your observations?" Gawain was curious as to how much information Naruto was able to gain through his so called 'Shadow Clones' that he displayed yesterday. If they could provide detailed information on their enemy's appearances it could help them figure out which of them were the leaders.

Scratching his head, Naruto tired to recall what they looked like, "Well, it was pretty much split between young and old men in the regulars; I'd put their numbers at about sixteen hundred or so. The other four hundred looked better equipped though. I guess they're the 'elite' troops." Bedivere noted that last subject that Naruto brought up.

"It sounds like the latter soldiers are the Gedriht, and if there's four hundred as you say, it means we'll have to deal with four chieftains." The young knight said, "They're the personal troops that are loyal to their chieftains and give the best equipment to battle with."

Ector nodded, "And based upon the regulars, the old men are Duguth, while the young men are Geoguth. Eight hundred each, and they're only given small round shields along with spears." He recalled some of what he knew about the Saxons' weapons, "Not only that, they'll have archers with long bows and slings to keep our men at bay from closing in."

Arturia believed that she had her strategy figured out for this battle…

"In that case, we'll have our own archers fire upon their forces to reduce their numbers. This will give us both a slight numerical advantage combined with the superior armaments and training that our soldiers have in order to enable a full-frontal assault and charge through the Saxons."

She believed that this was what would win them the battle while maintaining their chivalry.

Merlin saw that Naruto had crossed his arms as well as closing his eyes, shaking his head in disagreement, but he wasn't expecting the next words to leave his mouth in response to Arturia's plan.

"That's a stupid idea."

All tent occupants had gone wide eyed at Naruto's objection to what their king said.

Arturia turned to Naruto as she narrowed her eyes at the ninja. She wasn't hurt or anything like that, but disagreeing with a king in such a manner showed disrespect, "You have a better idea to win the battle, then?" She knew that they had quality over quantity and that was what made the difference in a battle between two armies. Despite the few numbers they had, Arturia was confident in their ability to win.

Merlin was very intrigued by what Naruto had to say in his defense.

Naruto opened his eyes as he took a few rocks & coins from his pocket, "Yeah, a way for us to win without sacrificing so many of our men. I've been around for a long time Arthur, and let me tell you that while superior numbers can be overcome it is almost always at massive loss in a full frontal assault. Every one of our troops counts for if we win here and are severely weakened what is to stop the next army from stepping in to crush us?"

"I'm your retainer, and as such, it's my duty to tell you when something is stupid and to help you create something better." He began to explain to set up both sides gesturing who was who, "Ok so… coins are us, and rocks are Saxons." Setting them down, Naruto showcased just what his plan was. He had been contemplating what to do to make this a victory for Arturia that would give them the best outcome while the war council was gathering, "Now if we do what you say, my king. Then the Saxons will only regroup to form up a shield line with their backs to the river, spears out in a phalanx." Naruto recalled how some other armies would use this tactic to form impenetrable defenses while giving them an advantage in terms of whittling down the enemy.

"It's easy to defend from one side and they know that. They'll send out Skirmishers while giving them cover fire with their bows and slings to pick off our soldiers before they can even make it to the battle zone, and giving them time to retreat into the shield wall. They have an entrenched position, meaning with what I've just mentioned, we'd lose men with every failed charge. No, you have to think differently than what you normally do to win this battle."

Naruto took a few of the coins and maneuvered them across the river behind the rocks, "Now, Bedivere and I can take our archers across the river with an escort of paladins to protect them. You and our main forces can draw the Saxons' attention while myself and Bedivere lead the archers to set up behind the Saxons on the other side of the river here. Once there, I'll freeze a portion of the river into icy spikes to keep them from crossing over to attack, while our archers fire at them from the rear."

Naruto glanced at everyone to see if they were paying attention all the while taking note of their expressions; Bedivere didn't seem to object too much to the strategy so far, neither did Gawain or Kay. Ector seemed to approve given his experience in battle that this was something that would be favorable for them. Arturia though, well… he couldn't really tell as her expression had become neutral, although he could sense her unease with doing something that didn't abide by her chivalry.

"Since they know that they can't cross the river from the ice spikes keeping them at bay, along with any of the paladins that'll cut them down if they do manage by some miracle do get across, the chieftains will likely send some of their front guard around the rear to protect them from our archers. I'll take the opportunity to have a Shadow Clone sneak in and disguise himself as one of them to take out two of their chieftains in order to spread disorganization among the Saxons."

"Why not just kill all four chieftains, Wouldn't such a thing cripple enemy morale?" Kay asked, knocking the four rocks representing the chieftains from the board only for Naruto to take two of the rocks and put them back on the table at the center of the Saxon forces, shaking his head.

"No, if all four die then whoever the executive officer of each Gedriht will step up to marshal the troops as opposed to two of the chieftains dying. Each set of troops under their command will wonder who they need to take orders from and likely get conflicting orders. Without two of their leaders, they'll make tactical screw ups since their command has been crippled and cut down to half." Bringing the coins of their main forces Naruto continued on, "Now that we've given ourselves a few advantages, the bulk of our forces will change up into a wedge formation. My king, your troops will wait for one of the Skirmisher groups to return to the line and when a small gap shows itself, that's when you send in the cavalry to charge through and split the Saxons in half."

Positioning the coins into a 'U' formation around the split Saxon rocks before Naruto continued, "Have those with tower shields and spears form up the 'U' formation in defense around the enemy with spears out to prevent them from escaping. Once that's been set up, you my king alongside the knights and myself will take on the now smaller groups. With the last two chieftains cut down we can let the rest of the Saxons surrender if they so choose. Disrupt, divide, conquer."

Letting out breath of relief, Naruto finished his strategy to win. The others seemed more confident in the coming battle, though Arturia had a slight show of frustration as she gripped Caliburn like before back the homestead; the feeling of inferiority washed over her. She knew that his strategy was better, and she silently admitted to it, but still…

Naruto decided to try and ease things up a bit for her, "Look, I get it. This isn't something you'd normally do, but we don't have the luxury right now. If we had more men, then yeah, we probably could do what you said first. But the odds are against us; we're the underdogs in this war. I've been in war before, you have to trust me on this."

Arturia had concede all of the points to him, and it would be foolish to ignore Naruto. Finally lamenting, Arturia nodded in acceptance, "I… I understand… we shall use your strategy in the coming battle." Arturia turned to Ector with her orders, "Ector. Kay, have our infantry ready to assemble and move out within the hour. I want everyone equipped for battle."

Ector & Kay bowed slightly as they placed their right arms across their chests, "Understood sire."

"Gawain…" Arturia turned to her nephew, "…I want you alongside myself as we have the knights and cavalry assemble."

"Yes, sire." Gawain bowing at his king's order.

Turning to Bedivere, Arturia continued, "Bedivere, you and Naruto will ready the archers and paladins to maneuver behind our enemy across the river to flank them."

"I understand, my king."

Nodding in acceptance, Arturia finished the war council up, "Everyone is dismissed." As the occupants left the tent with their orders, Arturia stayed at the war table though she clasped Naruto's shoulder silently wanting him to stay. She wanted to know something that only the ninja could tell her, "Naruto, why did you put your disagreement in such words?"

Naruto got the gist of what she was saying –

'Why did you show such disrespect to your king?'

Seeing how he usually wasn't one to always agree with his superiors orders and decisions, Naruto felt that he should go ahead and get this out of the way to ensure that there wouldn't be any tension between the two of them, "I'm sorry about that, but the way you strategized that wasn't very effective. I understand that you want to maintain your code, but there will be times that you can't hold onto it, or you'll risk everything in battle for it. I was taught that you had to adapt on the fly or die in the fight." Seeing that Arturia was conflicted he tried to soothe her unease, "My king, you have a bright future ahead of you. I meant no disrespect to you at all. I merely wanted to show you that we have other options and strategies available to us. Like I said before; I'm your retainer, and it's my job to question your decisions along with offering advice and strategy when you need it."

Arturia did have to agree with him. She was stubborn at times and her chivalric code kept her confined to a certain way of fighting, however seeing that Naruto clearly had prior battle experience, she had to see the points he made. With their current advantages over the Saxons combined with Naruto's own brand of magecraft and their strategy, victory was assured. Until such a time came where she had learned the art of war she would defer to his judgement.

Although there was something else that Arturia wanted to ask Naruto, "Do you have a code that you live by, Naruto?"

And there was that. Naruto knew she would bring that subject up after yesterday and the little disregard of chivalry from the meeting, "I do have a code. But I'll tell you once the battle's over. Right now, we have to get prepared. I promise you; I'll tell you what code I live by and honestly, it may come as a surprise to you, or maybe not. I dunno… anyways, time to get prepared!"

Arturia nodded in acceptance of his answer, allowing a small smile to appear, "Then I will hold you to that promise. But you are right, we must prepare for war."

* * *

The clanking of boots across the ground rang through Naruto's ears as he and Bedivere moved their archers and paladins across the river other side as they got into position to begin flanking the Saxons. So far, the enemy had no idea that they were coming having taken the raid camps out and maneuvering just far enough out of sight from the enemy to not suspect anything. One hundred and fifty archers decked out in light tunics and oak longbows were far faster to move than the entire army and the guard of fifty paladins made it across the river in a minimum amount of time.

Once they drew closer, Arturia and the rest of their forces would emerge from the tree line into the Saxon's view where they would begin getting into their defensive positions.

Keeping within the woodland of the tree line on their side of the river masked their advance along the river until they began to take notice of signs of the Saxon encampment. The smell of smoke and cooking on the wind and even the odd burst of laughter when the wind changed direction just so. Their advance was not completely perfect, finding maybe two dozen lookouts along the bank but with the massive ranged advantage and Naruto darting amongst the trees had them silently taken down in next to no time.

Eventually the encampment came into sight, ramshackle tents of varying size place on the uphill back of one of the many meanders of the River Glein just as Naruto remembered it from his earlier Clone investigation. Bedivere gave the signal to halt the troops and get them into firing lines while Naruto advanced to the edge of their field of vision.

Naruto formed a Shadow Clone to head into the enemy encampment where it would disguise itself as a one of the slain lookouts and take out half the leadership when the time was right.

Bedivere came up behind Naruto as he patted his shoulder to grab his attention, "Our archers and paladins have arrived in force. We should get into position to be ready in time for the assault."

Naruto nodded in agreement, "Alright, my Shadow Clone should be arriving at the enemy camp any moment by now. He'll disguise himself as one of the Gedrhit lookouts we killed to get to the chieftains."

Bedivere followed the chivalric code as well, but not quite so adherent as Arturia was; he was among her closest friends, vowing to serve by her side as he admired her beliefs and it drove him to become a knight under her service. Surprise to say he was not expecting his king to be a woman as opposed to a man; however, this did not deter him one bit. Now he found himself working alongside a Dead Apostle whom by all rights should be fighting against them not for them.

At first, he didn't know what to make of Naruto, although his introduction back at the homestead with the others told him something: Naruto was a kind soul that clearly admired Arturia just as much as he did. His planning of this battle showcased that he had much experience in war, which only made him wonder just how old Naruto truly was, and when he began his life as a soldier. The way he carried himself was like that of one who knew battle by heart, alongside how he spoke of cutting down the enemy with tactics that would divide and confuse the enemy.

He may not fully agree that this was a chivalrous way to do battle… but Naruto's way would help them prevail with minimal casualties.

Naruto & Bedivere moved past the bulk of their troops to the tree line obscuring them from the Saxons across the river in the open plain. Naruto saw that his clone had already disguised itself as one of the enemy to hunt down the leadership, "Ok, so far so good. It looks like nobody's noticed my clone's out of place." It wasn't hard to use a Transformation Jutsu and move through the crowds if one knew how to use it correctly, "We'll wait for the king to show himself to draw their attention." Currently the Saxons were either still eating, sleeping, tending to their weapons or sitting with their thumbs up their asses.

As far as they were concerned, they had nothing to fear.

Oh, how wrong would they be…

Naruto used the little lesson he got from Merlin this morning to begin preparing for the magic he would be employing soon.

Even two Shadow Clones were still good enough to help cut training time down.

Bedivere signaled the archers to begin preparing their bows as his own with the paladins at the ready to defend them. "Nok!" Breathing in deeply before he began channeling the correct energies to use magic through his hands. He had established a 'trigger image' as Merlin had called it of lightning striking a tree.

**"Petite warrior, loyal and steadfast. Your devotion is the ice of coldest winters, unyielding and true."** Naruto started the Aria, a three count one was all that was needed for this.

"Draw!"

Within the heart of the growing spell sat the evidence of Naruto's concept, a memory used to fuel the mystery of which he was about to perform. **"Masked hunter, in service to a demon. Your heart is kind but your rage is frigid, unto your enemy an icy hell you shall unleash."**

And they waited… the wait was not a long one…

As soon as they saw on the other side's tree line, they could make out the shape of Arturia and her forces moving forward causing the Saxons to drop what they were doing and gearing up for the blood bath about to commence, though they were unaware of their flank being wide open as Bedivere gave the order, "Loose!"

The Saxons unprepared for the attack suddenly found their backs filled with arrows, while some turn to try and run away. Naruto rushed in immediately before the second arrow volley with his hands glowing light orange with frosted steam emanating from his fingertips., "Alright, time to see things pay off! **Brave Shinobi, your life long gone. Your virtue shall be remembered as an ice statue carved within my heart, I name you, HAKU!**" As Naruto ran, appearing as a blur to the normal eyes of both sides, he thrust his hands out to touch the water with the mana surging through the river; the result? Spikes of ice shot up towards the Saxons that were attempting to turn their attention back their attackers with bewilderment clear in their words.

"What just happened?!"

"The river turned to ice and impaled our brethren!"

"IT'S A MAGUS! THEY HAVE A MAGUS!"

Naruto smirked a bit, mostly at his small accomplishment, but also at the cries of his enemies… he wondered which of them pissed their pants in fear…

Bedivere and the archers moved out from the tree line with the paladins taking the front; the knight and the former group readied their bows for another volley, "Archers, fire!" And let it loose upon Bedivere's command.

By this time several of the chieftains' Gedriht had arrived to form up a makeshift phalanx to protect their comrades; it worked for a bit, however some of them were struck suddenly by what looked like flying stars. Naruto saw that they were directing their shield to protect themselves from the arrows, however they were open for the ninja to throw shuriken that curved through the ice and around to hit their throats. Before arriving in this world, Naruto was had poor skill in curving the shuriken; but having been alive for a century or so, he honed his basic skills to their peak to be ready for whatever came his way.

Several of the Gedriht fell forcing the phalanx to collapse, but now Naruto saw that things were becoming hectic for the Saxons judging form how pitiful they were reacting.

"Where are the chieftains?!"

"They're dead!"

"No! My chieftain yet lives!"

"Fuck your chieftain, what about mine!?"

Naruto's Shadow Clone had taken out half the leadership, leaving half the Saxon encampment without guidance, "Now to kick things up a notch." He jumped over the ice and landed right on top of one of the Gedriht and drove a wind enhanced kunai through the shield that gave with the weapon driving through the skull of the warrior.

* * *

Arturia sat atop her horse with her hands gripping tightly at the reigns, Caliburn strapped at her side while her infantrymen and some knights marshaled before her at the bottom of the incline towards the river bank. They had placed themselves just beyond the range of the Saxon bows and sent the occasional group up to engage the Saxon skirmishers. There was a visual dichotomy between the British and Saxon troops, while the British were still and resolute with weapons in uniform correct positions the Saxons were hollering within their rough phalanx.

Hollering and boisterous shouting came from the invaders who added to the company by slamming the ash wood spears against their shields in an effort to intimidate them. Arturia had to admit that despite all of her training she did indeed feel a knot of anticipation.

"My King?" Ector asked from next to her, he to was atop a horse and was to lead the cavalry charge when the time came. "You look troubled, are you afraid?" the aged Knight's held empathy that spoke of years of battles and court politics.

She wished that she could turn her head to him and tell him that she held not a modicum of fear in her heart, that their foolproof plan would lead them to victory without any shadow of a doubt and bring them to the first step in reuniting Britain under a just ruler. But she could not, instead choosing to continue looking at the rambunctious Saxons that filled her view and let her foster father work it out without her voice betraying her.

"I see." Ector nodded to himself, taking her unsaid answer, a grin breaking his stoic slightly wrinkled face. "Good." Arturia finally looked to Sir Ector who continued to speak his piece. "Fear is one of the key parts of battle, it shows that you understand what is at stake, be it your life or those that follow behind you. Take that fear Arthur, take it and let it light the way to a time when fear is no longer needed except when facing those that would induce it by inhuman means."

"Fa-Sir Ector…" Arturia said, correcting herself mid sentence. She was about to thank him when a mass sound rent the air, like a blast of wind or smoke. Tearing her eyes away from her foster father, seeing something that gave her pause. The entirety of the river had been transformed into large spikes of solid ice that jutted towards the Saxons rear at all angles between 0 and 180 degrees. Soon enough she heard the telltale whizzing of arrow volleys slamming into the rear of the Saxon hoard, causing cries of confusion to come from the heart of the enemy encampment.

"Looks like Merlin's apprentice pulled through." Ector said with a chuckle, impressed by the use of Magecraft to turn the Saxon's position against them, "So, King Arthur, give your army their first orders."

Taking a second to steady herself, Arturia nodded, drawing forth Caliburn and riding out before her troops before turning to address them. "Sir Kay!" Her foster brother sat to attention, looking at the impressive figure of his King, "Take command of those with tower shields, have them move to the rear guard and begin the encircling maneuver the moment the main push begins."

Kay nodded, cantering off towards the back of the army. Arturia turned her attention to Gawain, now wearing a breastplate as well as a great helm to protect his head. He was in charge of taking control of half the infantry and knights once the Saxons had been split. "Company!" he shouted, raising his sword high above his head, glinting in the sun that loomed overhead. "Change formation!"

Looking to Sir Ector, Arturia took a deep breath before addressing him. "Sir Ector, take control of our cavalry and begin the charge when the signal is given, you are vital for this victory."

Ector nodded, a smile on his lips before placing the visor on his helm down and raising his sword to the sky, turning to gallop down the line of troops that were beginning to change position. "Hail King Arthur, son of Uther! Hail to the King of Knights!" he proclaimed loudly, his voice carrying clearly across the assembled British forces. The knights and infantry joined their voices with his, letting out roars of righteous jubilation and slammed spears against the ground. The sea of jostling steel was like something out of a dream for Arturia, their calling her name and proclaiming her glory was truly something to witness.

Turning back to the now panicking Saxons, Arturia leveled Caliburn at the foreigners that had invaded her lands. With a straight back and roaring heart she opened her mouth and delivered her decree, scant of fear or uneasiness, now was the time for action! "Infantry, Advance!"

* * *

Naruto saw that Arturia was now leading in with the wedge formation as the infantry formed the 'U' around the encampment and began closing in with their forces cutting the Saxons already present on the battlefield; the opening they were looking for occurred and she struck as soon as it appeared.

"Glad to see you listened, my king."

Naruto formed two additional Shadow Clones to aid their battle, "Alright boys, go thrash!"

"Right boss!"

Naruto decided to regroup with Arturia to finish things up.

* * *

Ector saw the break in the Saxon line and charged forth with a force of four hundred and fifty of Britain's beast cavalry at his back, spears and swords drawn to smash through the enemy line and cleave them in twain. The Germanic raiders were utterly unprepared for such a focused attack and with their line compromised their was little they could do to stop it. A few of Ector's charge fell to spears and arrows but it could not stop the British cavalry crashing down upon them like the rage of a vengeful god. Ector himself was a master of mounted combat, using the momentum of his horse to cut the enemy force in two, even picking up a fallen Saxon's spear to increase his range.

Naruto's strategy worked well, just as he said. Arturia had brought their cavalry and infantrymen with her to draw attention from the Saxon's backs while their flanking maneuver would cripple them. It wasn't something she was proud of by striking in the back of her enemy, rather she preferred a head on confrontation; however, she agreed that they would need a way to win this battle to showcase that they could unite Britain and prove her kingship.

The Saxons sent out their Skirmishers to draw first blood, however that suddenly came to a halt as they were suddenly pulled back, but also, they were stuck wondering what to even do.

Naruto's doing no doubt. He said that he would cripple their leadership, and this was the result: conflicting orders, unknown positions and confusing soldiers trying to make sense of what was supposed to happen.

Arturia raised her sword to lead the cavalry charge with Ector and Gawain in their wedge formations, while Kay gave the order for the infantry to begin collapsing in with the 'U' formation and prevent escape.

As the second wave of cavalry drew closer and closer to the Saxons, Arturia raised Caliburn and slashed at the enemy from one side to the other as she took the lives of Saxons left and right. Ector and Gawain each did the same, while the knights came behind as to ensure that the enemy couldn't take their horses down.

Arturia was as much a holy dragon as dwelled in her blood, her golden sword splintering the ash shaft of many Saxon spears and cutting down enemies of all ages. While her mounted combat was not at the same level of Ector, when it was enhanced by her core it made it so that she was damn near unkillable against these enemies. Gawain too was proving why he was known as the Knight of the Sun, having jumped down from his horse Gringolet and making literal mincemeat of any Saxon that crossed is path. His longsword sang a song of sanguine death as it took the heads and spines of five Geoguth in a single swing.

He did not pursue those that ran from him, but did throw the odd insult their way for dishonorable conduct, inspiring his allies while demoralizing his enemies all at once.

Bedivere had by this time worked his way back around to reinforce Kay with the both of them fighting back to back against the enemy who were steadily growing more desperate. The maneuver had reduced their numbers from 2000 to just under 1300 in less than half an hour and now that they had been split into two groups; the greater skill and quality of Arturia's troops was shining through like the light of god. One berserker armed with two axes made a beeline for Bedivere, his form bloody and eyes half mad with pain. Bedivere was caught unawares but was pulled to safety by Kay who threw a knife into the eye of the Saxon and sent him crumpling to the mud below.

Out of the corner of her eye, Arturia saw Naruto on the battlefield with those strange knives he used. She as well as the others in her army were like heavy moving objects that could stomp their way through the enemy, but that didn't mean she would use her speed to run across the battlefield and appear like a rabbit at times when she went for their necks; the most unprotected part of the enemy's body. Naruto on the other hand moved artistically like a dancer, moving from one position to another with skill and elegance. He was light as a feather, with no equal.

Yet at the same time he was immovable juggernaut like great Ajax of the Trojan war. One Gedreht had run at the blonde Dead Apostle armed with a Roman Spatha and swung at the blonde's neck with all his might. The Gedreht in question was a hulking 6'7 with muscles that could have crushed a man's skull with enough pressure, decked out in mail and a helm he was determined to take down the red eyed menace. With all this going for him he had swung his sword at Naruto's neck…

Only for the Spatha to literally shatter on contact, shards of steel flying in all directions and leaving no discernible mark on Naruto's neck. The Saxon had looked down at his weapon in a mixture of horror and confusion before back to Naruto whose red eyes were now locked on his. He tried to to attack again only for his body to not respond, enraptured by Naruto's Mystic Eyes of Enchantment.

Naruto slit the man's throat with a Kunai and turned back to his own slaughter. All the time Arturia watched.

In a way she found him… graceful in combat, but also brutal. The way he killed the Saxons was like that of a precise and merciless fighter. He drove his knives into the neck, skulls and hearts, sometimes even going straight through their bodies with a sickening sound that she couldn't describe per say.

She directed her attention back to the Saxons as one tried to charge her with an axe. Jumping from Llamrei, Arturia sidestepped the young Saxons, a Geoguth and slashed at his back to end his life.

"YOU! You the leader, aren't you?! Worthless cur, you and your spy will die for that!"

"Our brothers are dead because of your shameless sneak attack!"

Arturia narrowed her eyes as she turned to see two Saxons with Dane axes and great clubs, armed with heavy leather and chainmail armor and appeared older than the rest; the chieftains and they look none too pleased by their attack. She didn't fully agree with Naruto's idea, but she knew he was right. A tinge of anger swelled up at their threat to her and Naruto.

"I think not Saxon savage, you and your people came to take what doesn't belong to you, and I've had it." She held Caliburn up in her stance ready to take on the two chieftains. Judging from the way they appeared with their weapons and stances, they were the type to try and overwhelm with pure strength alone, no skill whatsoever in their fighting style, "I am Arthur Pendragon, son of Uther and rightful ruler of Britain. And you Saxons, have had your last raid. Prepare yourselves!"

The chieftain charged with their brutal implements raised high above their head to try and crush her to death, but Arturia maneuvered around to take a swipe as the chieftain on the right side; lowering Caliburn, Arturia slashed at the man's ribs forcing him to bend down to try and stop the profuse bleeding, while the other moved around his brother to try and swing overhead, but Arturia lowered herself to roll over and deliver an upward slash across his chest. The chieftain tried to move back to avoid the attack, however he was stopped by someone with a kick to his back; Caliburn drove into him deeply as the blood shot out from his body, and shock apparent on the chieftain's face as he dropped dead in the battlefield. **(2)**

Arturia saw that it was Naruto that had come to her aid with a smile on his face, "Come now, my king. Surely two chieftains would've been beaten by you quickly?" She smirked as the challenge was apparent in his words.

"They wouldn't have lasted much longer, Naruto. You needn't concern yourself in which the time it takes for me to fell two opponents such as these." Arturia glanced to the remaining chieftain who still held onto life, still trying to stop the bleeding. He glanced to Arturia who had focused all his attention on her, along with the Dead Apostle standing to her side; by now the fighting had begun to calm down with many of the Saxons yielding for the lives to be spared. Pointing Caliburn at the chieftain's head, she spoke, "Do you yield the battle to me, Saxon?"

The chieftain could only glare at Arturia with disdain as he breathed in heavily to stay conscious. His answer was in the form of him spitting at her feet before speaking, "Never…"

Narrowing her eyes, Arturia raised Caliburn high to carry out the execution, "Very well then." With the sword raised above her head, she brought the blade down to the chieftain's neck decapitating him, but before seeing the man close his eyes in acceptance of his fate.

Naruto saw that there was now a certain weight on Arturia's shoulders and felt it best to try and help her, "My king, are you… alright?" Her expression neutral before turning to Naruto.

"I am alright, Naruto. You need not worry for me; I will be fine." Turning back to the battlefield, she saw that the fight was closing with their forces victorious and the Saxons surrendering, "Now we must deal with those that have surrendered."

As Arturia began to make her way over with the rest of their forces, Naruto gazed back to the corpse of the Saxon chieftain for a bit before following Arturia.

First battle's always were the worst.

* * *

With their victory assured, and the Saxon encampment taken, it was time to decide what to do with the prisoners. Arturia stood up with Caliburn out with her hands placed on the pommel and the blade down; Naruto, Ector, Kay, Gawain and Bedivere stood up alongside her while her knights formed a line around the prisoners to prevent them escaping. Several archers kept their distance if by some chance a runner made his getaway, while the rest of her forces began gathering supplies and horses to use in their army.

Taking the next step in the aftermath of the battle, Arturia spoke to the Saxons, "I am Arthur Pendragon, son of Uther and the rightful king of Britain. I came here today to stop your attacks on my people and put an end to the misery you cause. However…" Glancing to one of the older Duguth that was at the head of the prisoners, "…I have been informed of the plight that was in your homeland. I know that the only reasons some of you came here was due to flooding destroying your home countries farmland. You came here to try and find a better life and cannot blame you for trying to find such things in Britain, but I will not allow you to destroy and take what others have worked for."

Naruto saw that Arturia was going to give them a choice, although with the paladins off to the side reading their blade and infantrymen beside them, he had a feeling that some wouldn't be given the choice, "You have the choice to leave and live your lives in peace. I will spare your lives this once, but if you decide to discard this chance that I am giving you, and rejoin your brethren in raiding Britain, you will be sentenced to death. If some of you are productive and seek employment then I will allow some of you to become blacksmiths to the army should you choose to continue living in Britain, but it will be under my supervision and those that are in charge here." This was a showing of mercy by Arturia, to showcase that she could be fair, just and merciful as the king…

"However, I have been informed of those who have committed atrocities to Britain. Murder, rape, the list goes on, and that is something that cannot be tolerated."

…now she was going into the punishment part…

"I hereby sentence you to death. It will be quick and painless, that I assure you."

Several of the Saxons were wide eyed at this proclamation, with Arturia's infantrymen making their way to the group and began to take the offenders by their arms, two men for every one offender. Naruto saw that the infantrymen were forcing the Saxon offenders to bend over as the paladins raised their swords to cut their heads off; he noticed that Arturia was not paying attention to what was about to occur, and saw that while she was ok with executions like this… just seeing or even doing the deed seemed to upset her. Instead she gazed at the Duguth that approached her. Gawain seemed to tense up, though Naruto placed a hand to his side and shake his head to ensure he knew that the Saxon meant no harm.

The sound of the swords coming down onto the necks, with many of the Saxons looking away in fear.

The Duguth bowed his head to Arturia as he began to speak, "Thank you. I am… unsure if any other leader would've allowed some of us to live. But please, take what you need as boons. Our finest steeds are yours."

The man gestured for Arturia to follow him, although she turned back to her inner circle, "Sir Ector, Kay, Gawain, Bedivere, make sure everyone and everything is accounted for and oversee the release of our prisoners. Make sure those that wish to leave are set off with the appropriate supplies they need, and those that wish to stay are acclimated to their new positions." The knights understood the king's order and bowed their heads while crossing their right arms over their chests.

"We understand, sire."

The knights left to comply with their king's order, while Naruto was left more or less out of it. Though Arturia seemed to have something different in mind, "Naruto, walk with me."

"Y-yes, my king." Naruto wasn't sure just what it was she wanted him to do, so he just went along with her as she followed the Duguth to the horses that belonged to the Saxons. There were not many, for the Saxons mostly used them for transport.

"Tell me…" Arturia directing her question to the Duguth, "…which of your stallions is the finest you have?"

The Duguth turned to respond, "Our finest one fears no battle despite not having a cavalry. It seemed to always yearn for battle, yet we never allowed it." The Duguth stopped as he gestured to the majestic looking steed before them. It's hide was gray-silver, with white hair, strong muscles and a healthy stature. The horse was the epitome of stallions as it seemed to rival even Llamrei, "Dun Stallion, is his name."

Arturia approached the horse to try and connect with it. The horse regarded her with interest, that is until he pulled back before allowing her to pet it on the nose. Arturia turned to Naruto as she gestured him to come closer. Naruto obliged of course, though he wasn't sure why. Naruto began petting Dun on the nose like Arturia.

An idea came to Arturia's mind. She clasped his left hand with her right and spoke…

"Naruto. Dun Stallion is yours."

He was caught off guard by what she said, "Uhm… I'm sorry but wouldn't he be better being someone else's?" Arturia shook her head at his reasoning.

"No. You need a stallion like the rest of us…" She began to reason with him, "…you may be used to long walks, but one must have a stallion to ride across the country, especially when winter comes, and the snowfall begins to make travelling difficult." Despite what Naruto told her with how he often traveled long distances by foot alone, it did nothing to worry her with his health. Travelling by foot on the long distances no doubt built up sores on his feet, and she didn't want her new chef, er… retainer… to be hindered by such things.

Naruto was about to protest again, until Arturia gave him a mild glare, leaving no room for arguments. He nodded in acceptance, "Thank you, my king."

"Think nothing of it, Naruto." A small smile was given to the ninja before she turned back to the Duguth, "We will have you set off with the necessary items for wherever you go. Your officers will be handed over for burial, while the rest will be burned." It sounded grim to be sure, however, it was not without purpose. Handing over the bodies of the Saxon officers was a sign of being just in the battle, while the burning of the rest of the Saxons were meant to ensure that the plague would not spring up and spread further across the land. They already had that problem and unfortunately it wasn't an enemy that could be defeated so easily. Burning the bodies was the only real way to prevent it from spreading.

The Duguth appeared grateful and understanding of their situation, "Thank you, King Arthur."

* * *

With the Saxons set out or joining as smiths to the army, they had taken the boons offered by the survivors of the battle as thanks for sparing them. The casualties on their side of the battle were kept to a minimum with only a few lives lost, along with some limps, bruises and minor cuts. Thankfully no one had lost a limb… yet…

They regrouped back at their camp and made plans to move to a Pendragon loyal settlement not far from their position; on the river Dubglas in the region of Linnuis. It had a large homestead with a position that allowed easy defense along with multiple roads that could be used to travel to and from other settlements across the island; not only that with winter fast approaching, they could make it their temporary home and expand with word now spreading of Arturia's kingship being true from pulling Caliburn as well as the battle to prove her ability to lead in battle.

Right now, Naruto was making his way back to his tent to begin packing up the last bits he needed to saddle up on his new steed. However, as he was passing by the boons given to them, he saw Arturia standing in front of a cage with a small animal inside of it trying to get out, though he could tell that she was enraptured by it. Coming up behind her, he tapped her shoulder earning a response, "Naruto. This animal is it…?"

Naruto saw just what it was and judging from the way Arturia's body language, she desperately wanted to know if it was true or not as he sensed eagerness to just… jump in joy like a kid in the holidays, "Yes, my king. It's a lion cub." The feline from a continent beneath Europa was trying to bite and scratch its way out of the cage, all the while Arturia looked like she was just gonna cuddle the thing to death. "Must have got it from Ghoulish traders down in southern Europa or Viking traders that have been to the Romans."

Seeing an opportunity to get back at her for her little ambush previously, and eating his precious breakfast, Naruto of course could not allow such a chance to pass up.

Naruto reached out to the cage and opened to grasp the lion cub as it began scratching his hands, and promptly handed it to Arturia who looked like she was a dumbstruck kid, "Naruto, what is the meaning of this?"

"Well, my king. It looked like you wanted to cuddle with the little guy…" Naruto playfully said, "…and since he wanted to get out, I thought you might like having him in your arms." Glancing down before directing his attention back to Arturia who was still not catching on to what he was doing, "Not only that, the little guy doesn't seem to mind all that much. In fact, he seems to like you holding him."

The sight before him was simply too cute, though he hoped it would get more entertaining than this.

The lion cub was nuzzling up Arturia's arms as she glanced down to the animal she certainly liked.

She remembered the day of her youth when she was sick and asked her brother Kay to make a wood carving of a lion for her that she cherished for much of that time. However, it was lost one day, and she was downtrodden by it. She always wanted to see a lion running across the plains, but now though… well she couldn't help it… the cub was too damn cute.

Next thing Arturia knew, the cub began to crawl up her shoulder from the arms that once cradled it, and now planted itself square on top of her head. Arturia furrowed her brows at this and decided to try and pull the cub from her head. Sad to say it had little effect as the cub had its paws in her hair grasping on with things becoming more difficult to get it off.

Arturia looked to Naruto to help, only now he was whistling as he looked to the sky with some interest. She narrowed her eyes at the traitor who promptly turned his attention back to her as he did his best to not laugh at his king.

"Well… it looks like you really are more of a lion. A Lion King in fact." Naruto said with some humor. Inwardly though, Arturia did like the title. And maybe having some lion-themed armor sounded intriguing… Although now it seemed that karma was coming back to bit Naruto in the arse with what occurred next.

Naruto felt a weight on his head just like earlier in the day and knew… he just knew exactly what it was…

"There's a rabbit-dog sleeping on my head… isn't there…?" Naruto narrowed his eyes at Arturia who was stifling a laugh, just barely… She nodded in response as Naruto ever so slowly reached up with both hands to try and grab the little bastard. Although this wasn't an ordinary animal since Merlin explained it was his familiar, moreover the fearsome Primate Murder no less, even if in a more manageable form. The furry animal that nestled on Naruto's hand quickly swatted away his encroaching hands without even waking up, "Why you little…" His eye twitched.

"It seems that Sod's Law **(3)** is merely handing you your comeuppance, Naruto." Arturia chuckled at the position Naruto was in now.

Naruto would've said something, but he was stopped as he felt something land on his shoulder. Taking a glance at the object, Naruto saw that it was a snowflake. Arturia gazed up as far as she could without the lion cub falling off her head, "Winter has finally arrived." She turned her vision back to Naruto, "We should move out as soon as possible now to avoid the snowfall that will prevent most travel."

Naruto knew that trying to move in winter, primarily in the snow filled lands would be very difficult, but not impossible. And their next destination was a place that would allow travel during this time, along with providing warm shelter for them to reside in, "I understand, my king."

The ninja headed back to his tent, but not before Arturia stopped him by the shoulder and spoke, "By the way Naruto. I have a new assignment for you."

Naruto arched a brow in curiosity, "You do?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"You will now be my personal chef."

"…" What…? "Huh?"

"It's as I've stated. You will be my personal chef from now on." Apparently, his breakfast made an impact on her this morning, more than he originally thought, "This in no way interferes with your training with Merlin. If he asks, then I will handle it. And it allows for us to talk with each other more so as a result. I still have many questions about your homeland."

There was something that Naruto deduced about Arturia from those few lines alone.

Arturia was a very greedy and selfish girl.

Suddenly she was reminded of something Naruto said he would tell her, "By the way, Naruto. You told me you would explain what code it is that you live by before the battle began."

He knew he was forgetting something, "My code. Yeah, my code is this –

I never give up, never give in, never go back on my word and I always… ALWAYS keep my promises. That's my ninja way. My nindo. My code that I live by every day."

A bit of realization came across Arturia as she gave a smile, "I see. It was not what I expected but, I am glad that you live by such a code. It's honorable and admirable." She realized that when Naruto said that he would be her retainer… that he would stay by her side through all manner of situations… he meant every word.

Drool slowly fell down their foreheads as the two narrowed their eyes at the sources. Both looked to one another in agreement.

"We need to get these things off our heads."

"Agreed."

* * *

_Codex Apostletos_

_Taken from the notes of L. Barthomeloi_

_Subject: Naruto Uzumaki_

_Entry Number: 3_

_Naruto Uzumaki is not a member of any of the given factions within the Twenty Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors though his relationship with them is odd to say the least, he is neither a member of Trhvmn Ortenrosse's faction -much to my own joy- nor Altrouge Brunestud's but he does not display the usual behavior of the 'lone wolves' either. Quite to the contrary he possess a healthy relationship with a few members of the Ancestors with an almost pathological hatred for a few of the others. He is known to be Close friends with Zelretch but also Caubac Alcatraz due to their shared love of 'pranking'._

_After the emergence of [REDACTED] in the year [REDACTED] he appears to have started hunting [REDACTED] after some kind of consultation with Altrouge Brunestud. If there is such a thing as a moral grey area amongst the Apostles then it is Naruto Uzumaki, I personally have worked with him on several operations which has led to my... un-Barthomeloi-esque feelings towards him. It can be said that amongst the Association his closest contact is [REDACTED] but his go between himself and the Association is a young girl called Hinako Akuta._

_In terms of relationships however one comes up in regards to Naruto Uzumaki is the borderline Blood Feud between himself and fellow Ancestor/member of the Association, Gransurg Blackmore, the Moon Drinker. Apparently it started shortly after Uzumaki was turned by Brunestud where the elder Apostle tried to impose worship of Crimson Moon over Uzumaki only for Uzumaki to fight back, hard._

_We have been unable to catalog all of their confrontations over the years but we believe Wandering Sea may simply be refusing to give them to us, they are rather stuck up their own rear, but I digress. There is a saying amongst instructors at the Clock Tower. 'If Kaleidoscope, Spiral and Moon Drinker are in the same room, don't come to work that day.' and I can personally attest that the animosity between the Black Wing Lord and Benign Ancestor is a sight to behold._

_The most well documented case of their clashing occurred here in London on the 6th of September 1666, an event that later came to be known as the Great Fire of London. The confrontation began when Blackmore and six of his followers confronted Uzumaki in Pudding Lane before Blackmore deployed his Reality Marble, Nevermore. The details are hazy at times with differing reports but after leaving the Marble, Uzumaki was apparently so enraged by Blackmore that he unleashed a Fire Mystery that set the city ablaze, killing all six of Blackmore's followers. Reports also say that Uzumaki was seen saving people from the fire later that night which is partially the reason why the six confirmed deaths are those of Blackmore's followers._

_This set a president that the Mage's Association cannot afford a repeat of in modern London so we make sure to schedule their arrivals __very specifically __ahead of time._

* * *

**(1) Unlike in canon Bedi Knows that Arturia is a woman, kinda silly considering Gawain and Kay knew but not Bedi despite him being the first member of the round table.**

**(2) While it may have been anti climactic these were just regular saxon chieftains, no way could they have beaten or even fought Arturia for long.**

**(3) Sod's law is the ****British**** equivalent of Murphy's law**

**And done! The battle was less words than I expected, but that's mainly due to being inexperienced in writing medieval battles.**

**The next chapter will have a time skip over a few months, and introduce another TYPE-MOON Camelot character to the story, one that I'm sure you guys will like as this will be another stepping stone to the future of Camelot.**

**Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and please continue to read, review, favorite and follow this story as well as the others on my profile.**

**And please, tell me what you guys liked and/or disliked about the new chapter please.**


	4. Chapter 3: The Rise of Camelot Part III

**So, another new chapter… exciting isn't it?!**

**But also, over 100 reviews and we're only into the story within but 2 chapters! Not counting the prologue of course, although I guess you could call it a chapter as well but either way, hell yeah! Let's keep 'em coming!**

…**pretty please guys…?**

**Well either way, I'm not sure what more I can say in my AN's thus far, other than I'm glad that people are being positively receptive to the story save for a few that either flamed (which were Guests that I deleted) or those that decided to simply say this story wasn't their cup of tea so early into things. Nothing really wrong with that, only I just wished they would stick around longer to see where things are going and possibly change their minds.**

**A common theme I found amongst some of the... less than friendly reviews was people screaming about Naruto being "nerfed". To which I have a few things to say. Firstly Naruto has not been put into a situation in which he has needed to use his full power, secondly if his power had not been diminished at all then he would not have any desire to develop in new ways and a character lacking unique development is boring to me. Finally, and this is the one that rankles me, if Naruto were to win every single battle he ever fought with no conflict then the story would be boring. If there is no conflict or adversity then a story is at best power wank and at worst a power fantasy.**

**No real news on the Fate franchise front save for TYPE-MOON publishing a a complete reference book that is over 11,000 pages long, BUT I found out that Lord El-Melloi II Case Files anime is finally debuting later next month on Crunchyroll! SliferMK2 tells me that it is not adapting a few of the earlier arcs but I'm happy to see more Waver either way. Although I'm curious if it's possible to start up a petition to convince Ufotable to remake the Fate route after they've finished up the Heaven's feel route? Thoughts on starting a petition guys? It'd be pretty awesome if it succeeded like the Young Justice Season 3 petition did :D !**

**Actually, you know what? I'm gonna do it. Anyone know the best site to start it up? Come on, be supportive everyone :)**

**One thing that I'm surprised no one mentioned was Dun Stallion. The horse that Arturia gave to Naruto is the one that her Lancer iteration rides into battle. Just a little thing there to have more TYPE-MOON Arthurian Legend in there to mix in with the traditional stuff that's being implemented.**

**Anyways onto the reviews that I wasn't able to respond to –**

**Messiah of authors**** – Saber Lily? Well, I can understand why you'd prefer her over Saber herself given how little she shows up, although I do find her (Regular Saber) backstory to be tragic and sad, something that should've been given a happy ending (which arguably happened in the Fate route and Good Ending [Sunny Day OVA] of Unlimited Blade Works). Either way, you'll have to keep reading to see what changes within Arturia ;)**

**Saberfang Orcalodon**** – Lancer Arturia? Hmm… you'll have to keep reading to find out ;) Although the armor is certainly something to consider adding into things. Given how little is known about how she got Rhongomyniad it gives me room to work my own ideas in.**

**DepressedNinja75**** – Oh yeah, I know. However, I'm merely using the TYPE-MOON Camelot lore as a basis, but I'm adding in bits from the Arthurian Legend to expand upon it in order to fit with the story and what I have planned. As for Mordred… I'm not sayin' ;)**

**Guest;**** Chapter 3, May 13th – Grand Order? Sorry, no plans for Grand Order arcs since I don't know it very well, however… there will be some Servants from Grand Order that I'll be bringing into the story later on. But then again, that Camelot singularity… look to the future my friend and you may be pleasantly surprised.**

**Markus-Antonius**** – I wonder if it's possible to get a petition for such an anime going alongside one to remake the Fate route? You know what? I'm gonna do it if I can. Anyways, glad that you enjoyed their interactions and now they'll be defeating hunger in a tasty way :D**

**AutumnHaze ****– Thanx, here's more!**

**OneWhoCantWrite**** – Thanx, I'm glad to hear that you enjoy this fic. As for other Round Table members joining up, well you'll see soon ;) And yes, Mordred's relationships will be different, but I won't say how. And yes, I do plan on bringing in other TYPE-MOON characters; while some will be part of the meat of the story, others will be mentioned or part of the background.**

**Stratos263**** – Indeed, though it's something that she will have help in that regard.**

**Issei ODR**** – Again, I'm sorry, but I'm not sure what it is you're saying :/**

**Orchamus**** – Thanx, I'm glad that you liked the way things went with the war council meeting and the battle. I had help on trying to figure those things since I'm not very knowledgeable on medieval warfare.**

**Larmmason ****– Glad that you've enjoyed the story so far and yeah, I plan on Naruto making an impact an Arturia to help her with the burden of being the King of Knights.**

**Panda – Oh, Naruto still has his Jutsu, however it's limited due to the planet itself perceiving his natural power as a threat and forcibly limiting him to use Magecraft of the world. Either way, thanx :)**

**sr Qrow black**** – Thanks for the review and the vested interest but I think you misunderstand how big the piece of Mithril was. It was at most the size of a gold bar given how rare of a material it was in the Nasuverse. Realistically Sparda would require maybe 10 times that amount to forge.**

**Guest;**** Chapter 3, May 18th – Thanx, and I plan to finish this story to the end.**

**Guest****; Chapter 3, May 19th – Chill out dude. Be patient.**

**Dreaming of the Phoenix**** – Well then is there any chance you can point out said errors and mistakes, so that I may go back and correct them? Anyways, glad to see that I've got you intrigued by the story.**

**Guests****; Chapter 3, May 22nd – Guys, come on, be patient. I understand that I've been putting long chapters almost like nothing, but I'm not gonna rush the crap out of them and sacrifice the quality of the chapters because you can't wait.**

**Guest****; Chapter 3, May 26th – Thanx :)**

**Now, onto the story!**

* * *

Chapter 3 – The Rise of Camelot Part III

-February, 468 AD-

The sound of snow crunching under the feet of two individuals echoed through the forest, with a pair of horses behind them under the bright yet cloudy day that was steadily shifting into the afternoon.

They approached the corpse of a knight leaning up against a tree with a blood trail that had coagulated on his lower left side. It looked like the knight had been trying to stop the bleeding with a cloth and rope to prevent his death.

"Another one of Cerdic's knights no doubt." Bedivere exclaimed upon seeing the coat of arms on the man's pauldron.

Naruto bent down to lift the helmet off of the fallen knight's head to see that it was a young man, eyes glassy and unseeing. He shook his head at the sight seeing the face of the young knight filled with regret and sadness, "Bedivere. How old do you think this knight is?"

Bedivere bent down to try and estimate how old the young man was; judging from his weathered facial features, the shaggy beard that was growing along with his hair growth, "He appears as to perhaps be twenty-three or twenty-four."

Reaching out with hand to touch the fallen enemy, Naruto placed his index and middle finger on the eyelids to close them, "Why do the young die, while the old linger on in their place…?"

His companion knew that he was talking to himself, but Bedivere did see the point he was making, "Some men simply don't see the good that can come from the truth." The knight rummaged through his sack before he marked the tree with a chalky rock that left a bright blue 'X' on it, all the while he continued, "This knight, as well as the others that we have fought were ordered to march on us to dethrone the king, and place their lord in her stead." Bedivere placed the rock back into his sack, "I could only hope that more would have surrendered before the end of the battles."

Naruto stood up slowly and rubbed small flecks of snow from his boots, all the while he gazed at the fallen knight. Seeing that this young man did not want to die in such a way, nor for such a cause, "They're probably telling this boy's family that he died with honor… they're wrong…" Naruto turned away as Bedivere followed him back to their horses and finished his sentence, "…he just died…"

Mounting their horses, the two retainers of Arturia rode out of the forest back to the homestead they had made into their temporary home for the winter.

Since Arturia's victory at the River Glein, word had spread quickly across the isles of Britain of her accomplishment and so twenty lords had declared her their king, sending their own men to bolster their ranks. When they arrived, they now had amassed an army just over 5000 strong.

However, it seemed that said victory did not inspire confidence into eleven of the lords. As it turns out, they were also at the Sword of Selection ceremony back on Ector's lands, and did not commit anything to Arturia's right as king so they held back. Unlike those that were skeptical and then shown otherwise, they were among the nobles that wanted the throne for themselves or wanted to name their sons or even themselves as the rightful king.

They arrived back at the homestead that had been outfitted extensively since arriving to set up camp along with what was already present for their positional advantage; the outlying lands were very hard to penetrate from the outside due to the forested area and hills forming a natural barrier for them. Once Merlin had taught Naruto how create Bounded Fields, the ninja set a few small fields up at entry points that would flare up if an excess of 500 passed through them; this would give the Pendragon forces more than enough time to get ready, sortie and position themselves in superior flanking positions to defend the homestead. Walls were built along with a moat to prevent sieging the position and giving them, some breathing room in terms of defense.

The two passed by the dock where supplies were ferried up and down the river to homesteads, where vendors had set up shop to sell and trade goods.

Business was thriving, judging from the amount of people that were bustling in the dirt roads, with food, wine, animals, tools and all manner of goods to be traded; Naruto recalled the first day when they arrived and the truth of the rebellious lords was revealed, "I wonder if any of those idiots will try another assassination attempt?"

Bedivere shook his head, knowing that they wouldn't given their current state, "I highly doubt it. The first try was an attempt to settle things quickly. Now that we know who they are, they've decided such things aren't worth the trouble anymore and now we have battles to deal with."

The knight remembered all too well…

* * *

-Flashback; December, 467 AD-

Not long after arriving at homestead in Linnuis within a week, they began to set everything up for the three-month winter they would be in for. The snowfall had already started to pave the roads white while the air began to chill. Arturia and her inner circle were given a manor to reside in that was roomy and held rooms for everyone to sleep in, along with the privacy that Arturia needed to conceal the truth. With everything already being set up, Arturia and Naruto decided on a stroll through the homestead before night fell to see how the people fared, and to talk amongst themselves.

"So, did your homeland have dragons?" Arturia asked while the lion cub climbed up to her shoulder to nestle up to her.

Arturia decided to name him Periwinkle of all things…

Why? Naruto had no clue. He just chalked it up to her feminine side showing up just a tad.

Naruto shook his head, "Not really no. I mean dragons were something that were pretty much symbols in temples, but they were never real in the sense of living and breathing. Not like the ones that Merlin told me about." Naruto had made his Shadow Clones to keep their distance and to keep an eye on Arturia along with those around her to ensure her safety. Maybe it was just him being paranoid of the warning Morgan gave him, but he wasn't going to let a single incident slide, and knowing just how some politics were, there would be assassination attempts on her life.

The market that they now began to stroll through was one such place where danger could hide behind every corner.

"But we did have talking animals." Yes, the animals that the ninja could form contracts with and summon to aid them in battle. Such as the Toads of Mt. Myoboku, the Snakes of Ryuchi Cave, or the Slugs of the Shikotsu Woods.

Arturia raised her brows in intrigue. Talking animals were not common at all in Britain; if anything, that would be, "That's… that sounds impossible."

"Nope, not at all." The ninja said as he shook his head, "We had talking toads, snakes, slugs, dogs, turtles, and I'm pretty sure there were a lot more than just that. Some of them were larger than most buildings and like a small castle." Recalling back to the time when he spent on the Hidden Cloud's turtle island and saw those animals, "And then there was a giant turtle that was as large as a small island that moved through the seas, and it had animals from different parts of the world on it that stood as big as houses."

It reminded Naruto of a story that Merlin had told him about the current seat of the Mage's Association, Wandering Sea. apparently an entire moving island that moved around northern seas of Europe to avoid outside investigation. Was such a thing placed atop a similar turtle or another miracle of Magecraft? Merlin was a bit tight lipped on the matter, giving Naruto the impression that Merlin was not particularly find of them.

Arturia saw that there was no lie in his words as she was fascinated by what he said, "Amazing…"

"I really wanted to see them again, but now…" He hung his head down in a slight show of mourning, "…well, it's a moot point now."

Arturia could see that it was something in his eyes; a sense of longing that once was, only now lost to the ninja. There were times when he would be positive and filled with life, while at times when he told her about his homeland, she saw he was filled with regret but at what she didn't know; only now she could see that he yearned for his homeland after their talks.

"Naruto…" Drawing his attention towards her, "…does it hurt to talk about your homeland?"

Naruto put his hands behind his head as he leaned back to stare into the sky while they continued walking through the marketplace, "Honestly… it's all in the past. And getting back well… it's just not possible. Even if I was somehow able to return it has been nearly a century, everyone I ever knew is likely gone" Arturia could see the frown growing on his mouth. For some reason she didn't like that when he frowned, although it quickly turned into a small smile as he directed his face to her, "But, looking at what we're doing right now, I'm starting to see Britain as my new homeland now. I'll put some roots down here and watch what we've accomplished grow and endure."

She could see that he was shifting the mood back to something more positive; seeing that perhaps a change in the way their conversation was going, she decided to tell him more about Britain and its history. That is until they ran into a wine salesman that got their attention.

"A taste of the finest wine this side of Britain, young knight?"

The man looked just like any other vendor here in the market; but in Naruto's eyes, something was… off with the man… the vendor took a cup from his table and poured it up from an open casket that he no doubt would have to give samples out to buyers, "One taste, and you'll name your wife's son after me."

He offered the cup to Arturia, likely assuming she was a simple knight going by her attire since she had yet to disperse the armor showing her knightly status, all the while Naruto kept his eye on the man to read the mood. He mentally gave a signal to one of his Shadow Clones to stick close should anything occur.

Arturia smiled lightly at the vendor's choice at words. Good thing he didn't know.

"I don't have a son on the way, but I won't object to tasting your wine good sir." Arturia was about to take the vendor on his offer that is until Naruto spoke up, wanting to see what kind of reaction he'd get from the salesman.

"My king, are you sure you want to spoil your dinner later tonight with wine already?" Naruto kept an eye on the man to gauge his reaction and could see something change in the man's eyes that set him on edge.

Arturia stopped before she placed a hand to her chin in thought, "You have a good point, Naruto." Her retainer was now her personal chef, and if he said drinking wine would spoil things, well… she wasn't going to disagree one bit.

"King? King Arthur?" The salesman asked in anticipation.

Naruto decided to oblige the man, "Yes. This is King Arthur Pendragon. The son of Uther and rightful heir to the throne of Britain."

The salesman's eyes widened in shock, "My king, I-I'm afraid I have offended you greatly." He tossed the wine out of the cup like soured ale, "That wine? Cheap swill unfit for a king such as yourself. Your name and victory against the Saxons has spread far and wide across the lands." Placing the cup on the table he gestured for the two of them to wait, "I have currently in my possession a cask of wine straight from Rome itself. Like nectar of the Gods; unparalleled in taste and something that would suit you as the King of Knights." The salesman went to the back of the table and picked up a barrel sealed tight filled what he said he had for Arturia, though Naruto became very suspicious of his actions.

The cask was a completely different wood from the other one and obviously better made, but not in the sense of luxury. While the first cask had been made from a cheap looking pine this one was a cherry oak, each metal band screwed perfectly in place with bolts to prevent leaking. And that was odd for Naruto, because for this to be a matured wine the cask would have had to be aged. It wasn't, indeed it could not be more than a week old. Something was off.

Surely by now people knew her appearance as the king, but this man obviously had no idea. Maybe he was pinning too much on the words to reach people's ears too early, or maybe something else entirely? Either way, Naruto decided to test this man as he came back with the barrel as he handed it to the retainer, "I'm actually quite thirsty myself. Let's go ahead and open it up."

The man gave Naruto a disapproving look while the ninja saw that he had a bead of sweat drip of the side of his forehead, "This drink is not meant for the likes of you, only a king." Arturia narrowed her eyes slightly as she raised a brow at the man while Naruto pushed him further.

"If it is for the likes of a king then surely the king's chef need test the produce." Naruto said, taking half a step forwards towards the vendor, his much higher height dominating the vendor's vision like some grim specter.

"Open it." The salesman looked back and forth between Naruto and Arturia to see that he was being pushed into a corner, "I insist." The ninja had a sweet smile on his face that exclaimed anything but sweetness should he not listen.

A brief contemplative expression rolled across the salesman as he obliged Naruto. Setting the cask down onto the table, the man hesitated before Naruto spoke again with a bit of force while keeping calm about the situation, "Go ahead. Pour up a sample."

The salesman turned back to Naruto try and placate him from continuing on, "It'd be a crime to drink fine wine such as this without allowing it to breath."

Arturia agreed with Naruto and pushed him on, "Please do as my retainer says." Periwinkle was getting the same vibe from his owner and seemed ready to pounce on the man's face at a moment's notice.

Nodding in acceptance of what was about to transpire, the salesmen complied, "As the king commands."

The salesman poured forth the wine into the cup and handed it off to Naruto who gently took it and gave it a sniff as the man spoke up, "Sweet is it not? You can still smell the grape and even a hint of strawberry laced into it to add flavor." The man gestured with a nod for Naruto to go through with it.

Naruto brought the liquid closer to his mouth with both witnesses watching in anticipation. "Indeed, quite sweet, but there is something else…" For but a moment, it appeared as if Naruto was going to go through with the swig, that is until he sniffed it again and gave it back to the salesman, "I think that with a wine such as this, a man who can obtain it should taste it first if only to truly confirm what he says is true. _'A drink fit for a king'_, as you say."

Arturia glanced back to Naruto to see that this man was not what he claimed to be. She placed a hand on Caliburn's hilt in the event this man did something to assault them, granted Naruto would act far quicker than she, it had become an instinct from her training.

The salesman shifted uneasily as he tried to dissuade Naruto, "My lord… it would be in poor taste for a wine seller to drink his own stock." He laughed slightly to try and worm his way out of this dire situation.

"_'My lord?'_" Naruto exclaimed with false vigor, placing a hand upon his chest in mock shock. "And to think that but a moment ago the drink was not meant for _'the likes of me'_. Take a good sniff, vendor from Rome. Tell me what is in that scent which shouldn't be. I insist." Naruto said. This time, his tone was not in a polite manner. This was an order.

The salesman took the cup from Naruto and it shook in fear. Whether he knew the visible reaction was present or not was fruitless. He had been found out.

Seeing no other option before him, he threw the cup at Naruto as he made a beeline through the marketplace before he found a searing pain shoot through his right leg.

"AAGGHH!"

He tripped and fell to the ground before he found the very same man restrained him to the ground as he struggled in vain to break free.

Naruto's Shadow Clone pulled the man's face close to his, crimson eyes staring balefully into erratic brown, "Bitter almonds... is it common practice in Rome to lace wine with _Cyanide_!?"

Several knights with Gawain at the head came through the crowd that had moved back from the scene in fear of what was happening, "Naruto, what's going on?"

"This man just tried to assassinate the king." The Shadow Clone answered. By this time, the real Naruto and Arturia came up behind with Periwinkle still on her shoulder leaping down to growl at the salesman.

"He speaks the truth. The man tried to poison me like a coward." Arturia knew that Gawain was still uneasy around Naruto, and while she commended her nephew's dedication, she wanted him to accept Naruto as part of their company.

Gawain narrowed his eyes dangerously at the Clone's captive, "Who hired you to kill his majesty?"

Naruto brought the man up as he began to twist the kunai in his leg to force the answer out of him, "This can be easy if you just tell us. The least you'll get is a quick death. Or I can 'persuade' you to tell us, and your death will be painful." He readied his Mystic Eyes of Enchantment if the second option was chosen. Bedivere as well as few other knights arrived behind Arturia and the original Naruto to see what the commotion was.

The assassin could only shakily glance back and forth at those who questioned him, knowing already that his fate was sealed regardless; regicide was a crime in all nations and empires punishable by death. Tell the truth and potentially die a quick death or… have the answer forced out of him and guaranteed death that may or may not be quick.

He had only one choice truly…

"L-Lord Cerdic! He… he hired me to kill Arthur." Naruto looked to Arturia for answers as to who this Lord Cerdic was.

"He was one of the noblemen present at the Sword of Selection, but he along with several others didn't support me when my kingship was declared." Now Arturia could see that now she would be forced to put down more of her own countrymen thanks to this revelation. Clenching her fists in silent anger, she directed her attention back to the assassin, "Who else is with Cerdic? He cannot be alone in this endeavor to assassinate me."

"Lord Balin, Lord Urien and Lord Maleagant, those are the only ones I know of…" Naruto increased the pain from the kunai just a tad sensing that there was obviously more to gain from this man, "…b-but there are seven others who oppose King Arthur. That's all I know! I swear on my life!"

Naruto looked to Arturia on what she wanted done with the assassin, knowing that he obviously cooperated willingly even though he knew death was the end regardless.

She opened her mouth to give her verdict… "I hereby sentence you to death. Regicide is a crime that cannot be tolerated, despite your cooperation. It will be quick and painless, I assure you."

* * *

-Now; February, 468 AD-

After that incident, everything coming into the homestead was thoroughly checked by their forces to prevent any more assassins from coming in to kill the king.

"Well, I can safely say that we have things locked down now." Naruto said as he clicked his tongue to have Dun Stallion continue onwards to the stables with Bedivere following behind. Passing through the homestead back to the manor, they saw the troops were going about their business, along with those that had been put to work in the forges. Those that had called Linnuis their home were in their daily routine with talking amongst the neighbors, fixing equipment, cleaning their houses, children playing in the snow, "I wonder if I just started the Snowman Competition of Britain?" Naruto said jokingly.

Bedivere chuckled at the statement, "You might've even given them the _'national snowball fight'_ as well if I'm not mistaken."

Oh yeah, that was another thing Naruto did with the kids of the homestead. Not long after the snowfall began with the blanket finally coming down upon the land, Naruto could tell that the kids didn't have much to do in the winter, so he decided to do something to lift their spirits up. Suffice to say, the mood of the homestead turned cheery when Naruto gave the kids something to do in the snow.

"True enough." Dismounting their steeds as they were tied off to the post with those other horses in the stable to provide warmth and shelter for them.

As they entered the manor, they saw the war council minus Merlin assembled for a reason Naruto knew very well, as did Arturia. Despite the cold winter that had rolled across Britain, they were able to stay warm with the building having multiple fireplaces with little chance of the manor burning down.

Arturia turned around to see them hang their heavy cloaks on the hooks near the door and greeted them, "Naruto, Bedivere. I hope the cold air didn't chill your spines too much today."

"Not at all my king…" Bedivere waved off the concern, "…we finished up in the eastern section of the region and marked up those whom were unable to be recovered by the enemy." They had been sent out to find the corpses of the fallen knights from the enemy, knowing that very likely they would abandon their comrades to retreat and save their own skins. Whether they would be buried or burned depended on the condition they were in.

Arturia truly lamented that they could bury them… but unfortunately, they had neither the time nor the resources to do so. For the time being, they would mark the places there fell, collect their belongings, burn the bodies and send the items back to the families. Just because they were enemies did not mean that they did not deserve some modicum of respect.

Naruto began his own address, "The Bounded Fields are still good, so I'll still be able to detect if another wave comes our way." Bounded Fields were another subject that Merlin had been teaching him in the last three months alongside Memory Partition and Thought Acceleration. With the way his Shadow Clones were able to gather info and flood back into his memory, these things merely sped the process up drastically to ingrain the knowledge into his mind along with increasing his proficiency with Magecraft.

Who said that Naruto was an idiot? While he may have been predisposed to a lean by doing approach, it did not mean that he couldn't study a subject. Although he was man enough to admit that his younger self lacked the patience to do such a thing.

The king nodded, "Good." Turning back to the others, Arturia looked to Ector next, "How many casualties have we endured overall?" The first battle that they had participated in was something of a… disappointment… no that was wrong, rather the battle wasn't quite what she expected it to be with so few men they fought against. It was the second battle that they had trouble with the most.

"The enemy came in with 4000 this time around as opposed to the meager 1000, and that cost us…" Ector began, "We've suffered at around 900 casualties to be confirmed all the while not speaking of those that have bedridden due to injuries and wounds." They did suffer a detrimental loss from these battles. As for the rebel soldiers that surrendered, they were divvied up into two separate groups: benign and criminals. Those that committed crimes were placed in prison, while those who weren't guilty of war crimes were stripped of their armor and weapons, with two months' probation placed upon them. If they didn't commit any crimes on the king's lands within that time frame, then they would be allowed to enlist in Arturia's army. Those that had more agricultural or constructive skills would be placed with farmers, carpenters and blacksmiths.

Ector brought up a letter in his right hand next, "However, we received word from King Ban in Benwick that he's pledged his loyalty to you, as well as sending his son alongside many knights and supplies to our cause; 2000 knights, cavalry and infantry regulars."

This was good news for them, "Along with that, the windfall that came to us from the north a few days ago with those under Vortigern's thumb have made up for our previous losses." Indeed. Arturia knew that those who lived under the tyrant king's land were trying to escape his 'law', but it was very difficult to do so. A little over a thousand soldiers fled due to persecution and heard of the King of Knights' just kingship and mercy.

"And I have no doubt that the messenger…" Arturia drolled slightly in disgust at the mere mention of the man, "…has taken my message back to him."

Naruto knew just how Arturia could channel her inner darkness if she wanted from that display on that day.

* * *

-Flashback; Several Days Ago-

Not long after the refugee soldiers of the north arrived at the Linnuis homestead, they were settled in along with handing over information they had to help them prepare for assaulting Vortigern's fortress.

A few days later, a few horses came riding into the homestead under the banner of a messenger, thus they were allowed entry. The guards at the entrance stopped the messenger before allowing him and his small guard group of four into the homestead.

"You ride under a banner to deliver a message, but what is it?" One of the guards asked. The next thing he knew, the messenger took a sack up from his saddle and took hold of a rope with something attached to it.

Their eyes widened at the sight of what it was: skulls and crowns of British nobility. But the one crown that caught their attention more so than any other was…

"I bring a message for Arthur Pendragon." The messenger spoke with authority.

"What's going on here?" Kay arrived to see what the deal was, seeing that the guard rotation was about to shift over. That is until he saw what the guards saw, "…what the bloody hell have you brought…" Kay knew all too well whose crown it was.

Kay decided to personally escort the messenger and his entourage to Arturia whom was conversing with Naruto about something outside the manor of residence as she was petting her lion, Periwinkle.

Bollocks, why that name of all names for a damned lion?

Naruto turned around after hearing their clanking footsteps to see Kay's expression: utter despisal of the escortees and seriousness.

Already getting a bad vibe from the men behind Kay, Naruto narrowed his eyes as he gestured for Arturia's attention to turn around. Getting up, Arturia saw the same sight with Kay approaching, "This man and his protective entourage are to deliver a message to you, my king." He came up to her side as he clasped a hand around her ear to whisper something to Arturia. At first, she displayed neutrality at the messenger; that is until her expression shifted into shock before she narrowed her eyes dangerously at the messenger. The other inner circle members arrived seeing the 'guests' they received to see just what the commotion was about as even a few civilians looked on from a distance.

It seemed as if the air was becoming dangerously volatile just from this scene alone.

Arturia stepped forward to the messenger and spoke, "Before you speak, know this messenger. Everyone is held accountable for their words. Now, what message is that you carry from Vortigern?"

The messenger held his hands out to his side as if presenting a gift to her, "Blood is thicker than water."

Well that certainly was an odd message to bring. Naruto had been around other civilizations and seen enough family feuds to see that Vortigern had heard of Arturia's successes and decided to throw down the gauntlet, yet the messenger was playing with his words. Seeing that it was better to get this out of the way and focus more on their next battle that would no doubt come from the rebels, Naruto spoke up, "Let's not dance with words, messenger. Say what it is you have to say and end this game."

The messenger looked at Naruto as if he were offended by the worst kind of insult, "And just what gives you the right to speak here, peasant?"

"Because this peasant is a retainer to the King of Knights." Naruto countered as he took a step forward to face the messenger. It seemed as if a stand-off was about to occur with the civilians backing off while Ector, Kay, Gawain and Bedivere tensed up ready to draw their swords to defend their king as well as aid their fellow retainer. However, Arturia stepped forward and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder to ease the already potent tension.

"Let us walk to cool our tongues." Periwinkle -the adorable little cub- appeared to be ready to pounce and claw at the messenger should he try anything, but Naruto doubted that it would come to that. Many nations did not kill a messenger and his entourage as it would be a grave dishonor on those who were meant to receive it, and he doubted Arturia would do the same, unless she was pushed beyond the brink of her emotional threshold.

But that would have to take something astronomical to trigger a reaction from her.

Arturia gestured to her left side for the messenger to walk alongside her to translate what is was her uncle wanted to her to hear. The inner circle walked alongside the entourage with four additional knights flanking them, with Naruto and Periwinkle on Arturia's right.

The messenger decided to elaborate, "Arthur Pendragon, your uncle in the north, King Vortigern does not wish to have your blood shed, as you are his nephew. But you must realize that there cannot be two kings to rule Britain."

Arturia stayed silent as the messenger continued, "His majesty wishes only to avoid conflict with you, Arthur. You may continue as you are to put down the rebellious nobles who refuse to answer to you and expel the foreign invaders that ravage the land. But he also wishes for you to turn over the traitors that you've taken into your lands for the proper punishments to be taken."

As for their path, they came to a large bonfire that had been burning for some time now to help heat the homestead in the town square. Arturia stopped to gaze at the fire before turning to the messenger who delivered his final bit, "All his majesty requires of you, is to bend the knee and swear fealty to him."

Well… it seemed that her uncle was giving her an ultimatum… the coward…

Taking a deep breath, Arturia held back in her words, "Well, that's going to be a bit of a problem." The messenger looked at her wearily after the confidence in his voice implied that he would be pleased by Arturia's response, "You see… I've received word that my uncle is actually helping the Saxons raid the lands, and even granting them the right up north to take what they want without resistance."

In the past few weeks, Naruto managed to gain several spies for them to obtain news and rumors that floated across the lips of the populace; this meant such things could be of great usage for future engagements, recruitment, planning, etc. When he told her that her uncle was secretly supporting Saxon raids… on the outside, she appeared to be a calm storm, but the ninja could tell on the inside she was absolutely livid…

The messenger had walked to Arturia's other side as he was now in front of the bonfire, "And if you're implying that the supposed 'traitor's' have done something wrong, then I'm afraid I must respectfully disagree." There was no way in hell that she was going to hand over those who escaped persecution back to the one that would torture and kill without mercy or shame.

"Not just that, but for my uncle to say he does not wish for my blood, then I'm afraid that I must call out such a blatant lie."

The messenger was not pleased by Arturia's response, "Choose your next words carefully, Arthur. For they may be your last."

Arturia looked at the messenger right in his eyes, staring him down before she shifted her gaze to those behind her: the civilians she swore to protect, the knights she swore to lead, her retainers that swore to aid her in her dream. Gazing upon the faces, she could see their pleas to resist the ultimatum given unto her; to fight against the tyranny that threatened them; to save them from the death sentence that would be sent upon them.

"The reaper cares not for our final moments, nor empty words spoken to the wind." Arturia retorted hotly, her emerald eyes reflecting the light of the fire, it was honestly quite intimidating. "It is only by the tenants of the chivalric code that I do not cleave you limb from limb for blatant disrespect. So hold thy tongue ye knave!"

Peering down at her feet in though, she wondered how to put her words without killing this man. She looked to Naruto for an answer, having come to rely on him and his knowledge, coupled with her own growing bond with him.

Naruto saw Arturia asking him for a response, although on some level it seemed as if they knew where it would be headed, even with her chivalrous code within the end result.

He nodded to her.

Arturia pivoted to the messenger as she drew Caliburn from the sheath and pointed to tip at his throat, shocking the man at her actions, "Madman! You're a madman!" At this point the messenger's guards tried to draw their weapons in his defense, but soon found themselves at the mercy of the inner circle and their knights.

"_'Blood is thicker than water'_, my uncle is foolish with his words as he is with his loyalties!" Arturia raised her voice to the messenger as she berated him and insulted Vortigern.

"No man… no man from any nation threatens a messenger, it is dishonorable!"

Arturia ignored his words as she continued to list off the offenses, "You bring the skulls and crowns of MY FATHER AND HIS ALLIES TO MY FEET! You insult _MY_ retainer! You threaten our own people with tyranny and death!" She slowly shook her head at how foolish this man was to think she would abide by these things, "Oh, I have chosen my words carefully, _traitor_…" Placing emphasis on the last word signifying that she did not acknowledge the same things that he did and condemning his fate already in the end of their campaign, "…perhaps you should have done the same." Pressing the blade further to the man's throat, she stood tall with the air of a king that would take no for an answer for what she ordered him to do next, "Now messenger, you will carry my own to that tyrant who sits on a false throne. If Vortigern demands that I kneel before him, then he must come do it himself. But I doubt he can even get off his fat arse to do anything, while he slums around that which was never his. Take my message back to him, and do not look back. But leave the skulls, they will not be allowed to leave these lands."

Her tone left no room for argument as they escorted the messenger who now appeared as if he had the fear of God put in him by a little girl, not that he knew of course.

* * *

-Now-

Suffice to say, the rest of that day was solemn as Arturia took what was left of her father's remains and gave him a burial along with those he knew him well. She didn't wish to be disturbed and Naruto understood why; Ector whom had been a close friend and served under Uther was the same, but he continued on with his duties as the general of their army.

Naruto had to give the man credit for being a dutiful knight and retainer to Arturia, though the ninja also suspected that it was due to him still doing his paternal duty as the king's foster father.

"Once King Ban's men arrive, we'll have around 7000 men or so."

Nodding at the numbers, Arturia raised a point to them all, "I don't want to move on Vortigern at least until we've amassed an army of 10,000 strong to take back the lands." Arturia knew that Vortigern's lands were difficult to traverse based on what the soldiers that fled from him informed them of. And taking his fortress would be a monumental undertaking to free the rest of her people. She turned her attention to Naruto for the next bit, "I'm not sure if it's best to ask this given how we've yet to see any sign of his return from his 'walkabout', but has Merlin returned yet?"

Naruto breathed a sigh of exasperation, "No, he has not, my king." Rubbing his temples at how ridiculous Merlin's antics were, "I'm afraid he may return once you've forgotten his little… uhm, 'condition'."

And by condition he meant pervert.

Their eyes twitched.

* * *

-Flashback; One Week Ago-

"So…" Naruto managed to get out, "…why Periwinkle?"

The lion cub that Naruto gave her after the Saxon defeat had grown a bit in the last few months. Now it was a large as a small dog, biting on a thick piece of rope like one. Arturia rubbed Periwinkle's back and forth, stroking the fur of the exotic cat with care; looking up to her retainer, Arturia gave him a look that showed confusion, "Yes, I thought that it would be a good name for him. Why do you and the others think so oddly of the subject?"

Naruto sighed,_ 'Even as a king and pretending to be a guy, she's still a girl at heart.'_

_**'What else were you expecting? Something like Maximus?'**_

_'Kinda, yeah.'_

Shaking his head, Naruto decided to not get into it with Arturia, knowing that she could be pretty stubborn on certain things.

"You know what? Never mind about that." Dropping down to pet Periwinkle on the head, the ninja decided to bring up the subject of food, "So, what do you want for dinner tonight? I made that seasoned pork and cheese mashed potatoes last night."

If there was one thing Arturia would selfishly hoard from everyone, including her inner circle, it was Naruto's cooking. She thought that he had been blessed by the Lord Almighty himself with such skill in cooking food, regardless of how meager the ingredients were that he asked for preparation. Putting her free hand to her chin, Arturia thought about what it was that she wanted for the two of them have tonight. Since Arturia wasn't too keen on sharing her chef, the two ate together in her room under the pretense of discussing strategy and her being curious of his homeland; getting to know her retainer as it were.

"Well… I was thinking of—" Arturia stopped as she saw Naruto shivering in… annoyance? Or was it fear? "Naruto, is everything alright?"

Naruto always got this chill up his spine whenever a certain type of person was nearby. No, it wasn't really an enemy…

…most of the time…

Rather it was the type of person that Naruto found that he could barely stand whenever they went into a certain 'mode', "My pervert senses are tingling."

Naruto stood up to look for the source of said senses while Arturia could only look confused at his words and actions, "Naruto, whom is this pervert?"

That caught Naruto off guard actually. Arturia being a woman, surely she must of known of his antics given their time together? Well, he knew that Kay was a womanizer, but he didn't do it openly along with being a gentleman and his reputation as a knight would be sullied if he stepped into a brothel. But still, either way… Naruto stepped off to Arturia's side as he brought his hands to her ear to whisper into it.

Arturia listened to his words, all the while her expression shifted from curiosity to confusion, and then she blushed heavily as she fought it down quickly before looking miffed. Narrowing her eyes, she decided that after Naruto's little description of what a pervert was to him, she didn't like them.

Not. One. Bit.

Aiding the ninja in looking for the source of said 'pervert senses', Arturia did her best to look for an older man that she thought would best fit of what pervert would look like. Naruto suddenly heard a young woman giggling on the other side of the street; turning his head, his eyes widened in realization: he was cursed!

_'I'M FUCKING CURSED! OLD MAN SARUTOBI, KAKASHI-SENSEI, PERVY SAGE AND NOW…!'_

**_'Ha ha ha! You poor, poor bastard!' _**Kurama laughed so openly at Naruto's luck with teachers being perverts.

Cursed he said! Merlin was a goddamned PERVY MAGE of all the things to be!

Dropping his head down, Naruto quietly talked to himself, though Arturia was close enough to hear, "Perverts… why? Why is it that I'm always taught by perverts?"

Well that didn't sound too good in her mind. Patting Naruto on the shoulder, Arturia decided to put a stop to Merlin's perverted antics, seeing how this seemed to upset Naruto in a way. She walked over to Merlin whom was chatting up the young lady all the while she prepped a good slap for the magus; as Merlin finished up saying something he noticed that Arturia was walking towards him, "Ah, your majesty, what can I do for—AGHK! What was that for?!"

Arturia struck Merlin on his forehead with a hand chop while her expression remained neutral. Arturia turned to the young lady and slightly bowed her head, "My apologies. My court mage has some things that he must help me with right now."

The woman shook her head, "Oh, I-I'm so sorry, my king. I had no idea."

Arturia waved her hand to dissipate any fear the woman may have had, "It's quite alright, I hope you have a good day." Seeing that fear disappear was good.

"Thank you, my king."

The woman left as Merlin rubbed his head all the while he could only give a mild glare to Arturia, "Did I do something that I have yet to do?" By this time, Naruto had shaken from his self-pity and made his way to the others with a glare adorning his features.

"Yeah, you're a Pervy Mage." The ninja said.

Merlin visibly flinched a bit before he backed up into a wall with the two young ones glaring at him, "W-Well I can't exactly help it, I mean I am half-Incubus after all. It's in my nature to womanize young and beautiful women whenever I see them." An Incubus was a demon that had sexual intercourse with women many times, and he hoped that saying what would ease the two of them up.

It did not.

If anything, their eyes narrowed even more so as a result with Naruto speaking, "Sorry, Pervy Mage. But perverts get what's coming to them in the end."

"Indeed." Arturia agreed, "As the king, I must punish my subordinates and retainers should they get out of line, and you were about to do just that Merlin." She stepped closer as she unclipped Caliburn from her belt, but she did not unsheathe the blade. The magus got the gist that she was going to either:

A) Whack him on the head to render him unconscious to drag back to the manor for punishment.

Or

B) Jab him right in his manhood to teach him a quick lesson. Which would hurt, very, very, very much.

Seeing that his apprentice wasn't going to help him out one teensy bit, Merlin saw only one way out of this… "YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE, MY KING!" Merlin snapped his fingers as he vanished in a puff of smoke just like Naruto's Shadow Clones would as he vanished from sight.

"Dammit… where the hell could he ha—what the…?" Naruto saw that a note had been left in Merlin's place. Arturia bent down to pick it up to read the contents.

_"Sorry that I pulled a fast one on you two, but I couldn't let you two spoil my day. So, I'll be going on a 'walkabout' for a while… at least until you both cool your heads, best of luck!_

_-Merlin_

_P.S. Naruto be sure to adhere to your studies on what I've taught you so far and utilize it in and out of battle. Be sure to read that book I gave you going over the Age of Gods Magecraft._

_P.S.S. Arturia, Caliburn has the ability to emit a concentrated [beam of light in response to energy placed within it. Just channel your Mana into the sword, point the tip right where you want it to fire off, then let it loose. Do not put all of your mana into it or it will likely shatter the blade.]_

_P.S.S.S. Well, I don't really know what else to say, oh well."_

A chibi Merlin was drawn giving the 'peace' sign to them with a toothy smile.

Naruto could only shake the letter as he grit his teeth in comedic fashion, "That sonuvabitch…" So, his teacher left to go screw some women to get it out of his system until they forgot about it -which they never would- and left him behind in his Magecraft studies!

"…dammit!"

Arturia arched a brow at the message bit meant for her, "What's a 'beam'?"

* * *

-Now-

Arturia pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. The situation without Merlin was aggravating; Naruto needed to learn more Magecraft, and she needed his wisdom at times. Sighing, Arturia looked to Naruto, "I see then. Well, I suppose for now you'll have to keep filling in for Merlin until he returns, Naruto."

Naruto knew old pervs like Merlin would take their sweet ass time to satisfy themselves, along with this whole ordeal probably being some sort of test by Merlin. The magus was odd like that with how he trained him, and if going by what Arturia had told him of her time under his tutelage, then things would be quite annoying.

Turning back to Ector, Arturia spoke to the general, "When exactly did King Ban state his son and soldiers would arrive to reinforce us?" The sooner the better. The rebel forces had been a taxing ordeal and she would prefer to push out the foreigners, barbarians and bring down her uncle.

Ector unrolled the letter as he scrolled down to the bits stating the date, "King Ban said that his son should be arriving… today in fact." Rolling the letter back up, he looked to Arturia who had a relieved look on her face, "They should be arriving at the mouth of the river that exits into the channel, it would be prudent for the king to meet our new allies upon landfall."

The King of Knights gave a small smile in response, "Then it is as you say, I will need to ride out and meet them." She directed her attention to Naruto and Bedivere briefly before turning to Gawain, "Gawain, Naruto, Bedivere. The four of us will ride out to escort them to the homestead…" She turned back to Ector and Kay, "Ector, Kay. Stay behind to coordinate our troops in the event of another battle breaking out, I doubt they won't allow an opportunity to pass by if they're watching our lands."

"If that's the case…" Naruto spoke up, "… then wouldn't it be wise to travel with a large contingent of soldiers with us. A king away from their secured location is all too easy a target, as well as those whom he is receiving." He made very good points.

Seeing that they would need a large force to defend against any rebels that go any funny ideas, Arturia decided to follow through on Naruto's suggestion. She turned towards her nephew, "Gawain, assemble a force large enough for travel and defense but leave the rest of our forces here to defend the homestead."

Everyone saluted and bowed to the king in acknowledgment at the king's orders.

Periwinkle had been laying by the fireplace as it chewed on its precious rope toy made for it. Sensing that his owner was leaving the manor, he got up to nuzzle up against Arturia's leg urging her to stay longer. Bending down to stroke the fur upon Periwinkle's head, Arturia spoke to the young lion, "Sorry, Periwinkle, but as king, I have a duty. I'll be back soon though." The young lion seemed to understand her words as it made its way back over to the fireplace where it laid down, resting its head on a paw.

As those leaving to receive King Ban's son and his men, Ector and Kay stayed inside to talk to one another over a certain matter, "You've noticed that she seems to really be listening to our resident vampire lately, right father?" Kay asked.

Ector could see that as well. For the past three months, Naruto had been dining in private with Arturia and while his fatherly instincts kicked in for protection, he knew that if the Dead Apostle tried anything then Arturia was more than capable of handling herself along with Merlin around the corner to put a stop to anything Naruto tried, "Good to know I'm not the only one. Although, I think if he was trying anything 'dastardly'…" Chuckling mildly to himself, "…he would've done so not long after we began this campaign."

"Are you sure?" Kay raised an inquisitive brow. Sure, he could see that Naruto was an okay guy, and his strategies helped them win in their previous battles along with being able to back them up in battle. But his brotherly nature over Arturia was still there a bit, "I mean, don't get me wrong. I think that Naruto's someone that we can come to depend on in battle; he's gotten us by with reducing our casualties against the Saxons and the rebels, but he's still a Dead Apostle. A vampire."

The instinct to spread their influence over others was something that was in their nature.

Ector did a gesture with his head to agree but also disagree, "That is true… however, I don't think he means Arturia any harm at all." Seeing their interactions to bring a smile to her face, even a little one was endearing, "In fact, I'd say that the two are becoming closer to one another; akin to close friends as opposed to a king and retainer."

Kay did notice that as well. Even though he helped organize and lead troops into battle, along with overseeing the duties as one of the inner circle, Kay could see that whenever his little sister and Naruto were talking to one another… she was both awed and happy by their conversations together, "I do see that actually, yeah. Though…" Kay hesitated slightly for some reason that he wasn't quite sure of, "…do you think that maybe they'll become closer eventually?"

Ector wasn't sure about that little bit, "Perhaps, perhaps not. Only time will tell where they take things." Whenever she would perform her duties in public, or sometimes even in private as the king, Arturia kept up a stoic, emotionless visage up to mask her feelings from the people to try and maintain the composure to be an unbiased leader. But he also could see that she was in pain for doing that.

Kay saw it as well, and honestly speaking? He hated it, "Well, he brings out the happy side of her. And if it does somehow in someway go further along…" He shook his head in frustration at the fate that had been placed on his little sister's shoulders, "…dammit. I get it that she's the king, but that doesn't mean she can't find a way to have someone in her life, other than us."

Ector did agree. Arturia needed to showcase the human component to empathize with her subjects, and so far… Naruto had been bringing that part of her out, "I agree, but all we can do is let things go naturally with us not impeding their 'unique' relationship."

* * *

With everyone else outside the manor, Gawain headed off to round up soldiers while Naruto and Bedivere went to the main gates to wait on everyone. Oddly enough though, the two brothers-in-arms saw Arturia heading towards the blacksmith forge back the other way. Both looked to one another in confusion as to why she would do so, "I wonder why the king is heading to the forges?" Naruto wondered aloud.

"I'll go see…" Bedivere agreed with the ninja, making his way past the busy people going about their daily duties, towards the king.

Coming up to her side, Arturia turned to see her friend, "Bedivere, what're you doing? Should you not be with Naruto at the main gate waiting?"

"My apologies my king, but we thought you would be with us as well." Bedivere stated. He certainly was curious as to why she wasn't with them instead. Bedivere noticed that she was glancing off to the side briefly where Naruto was before looking back at himself.

"It's something I've been having prepared for Naruto since our first battle…" Arturia explained, "…however, I intended for it to be a secret until we returned if it's almost ready for him." Seeing the weapons that the Saxons used against them, along with how their weapons simply shattered against Naruto's skin, Arturia knew well enough that their future engagements would no doubt involve mystic weapons that could actually pierce his skin. So, she decided to commit some token resources to a special gift she had been preparing for the ninja.

Now, one could say that this was merely a king preparing something for their retainer as a repayment for their service, although Bedivere saw that perhaps this more along the lines of a token of friendship between Arturia and Naruto, "Ah, I see then. I take it that Naruto should not know of this little gift?"

"Correct."

"Very well then, I suppose I'll have to lie to him that you were merely heading off to the privy room then." Bedivere turned about and made his way back to Naruto all the while Arturia could only gain a small tic mark at her friend's excuse. Sighing at her retainer's excuse, seeing that it really was the only thing that could throw the perceptive ninja off, Arturia continued to the smithy where she saw several men working the forges in fashioning armor and weapons for their army; most notably the Saxons conducting themselves diligently in their work. Approaching the head of the forge currently directing a few smiths, Arturia addressed him, "Excuse me, Harrit. May I have a moment of your time?"

The head of the forge named Harrit turned away from his work to see that king standing before him, "Pardon me, your majesty. Sorry for not realizing you were sooner." Quickly composing himself, Harrit had a feeling what the king had come for, "I take it you're here for the 'special request' that you put in months ago after arriving?"

Arturia nodded, "Indeed I am. It is for one of my retainers who does require it, even if he believes otherwise."

When the king had come to his forge with a request on a special order, he was overjoyed and awed that he had been asked to forge such an order. Needless to say, it was very difficult with all of the materials and specifics that were placed in the order, but it would be his masterpiece, "It's almost finished, my king. It'll be ready for you within the day, about an hour past noon I should say."

She had hoped that it would've been ready by now, but she was glad that it would be finished today either way, "I understand; you have my thanks." Arturia slightly bowed her head in thanks to the forge master with him doing the same. She turned to head back to the main gates where Gawain & Bedivere had readied the troops while Naruto had Dun Stallion and Llamrei's reigns, waiting for her.

Naruto handed her Llamrei while he mounted Dun all the while bringing up the question that was evident on his face, "So… Bedivere told me you went to the privy, correct my king?"

Oh, she could tell where this was going… well then, she wasn't going to budge even if he offered to cook her a thousand meals!

"Yes, the need to do so cam upon me so suddenly as we left the manor, why do you ask?" Arturia feigned ignorance that the men's privy was in the opposite direction of the forges.

Naruto had a feeling that she was hiding something from him. He knew that the men's bathrooms where over near the barracks they had set up -for some reason Naruto had no idea why they would set things up like that- along with some housing, so the question was why she headed off to the forge? He asked Bedivere, though his comrade had dodged it a little going off his body language he was lying to cover for Arturia. Knowing just how stubborn she could be, Naruto opted against asking anything else and decided to go along with it, "Ok then, let's head out."

Now Arturia seemed to sense that Naruto knew better than to buy that lie. She looked to Bedivere who merely made a gesture with his hand stating that his lips were sealed of the matter.

Well… guess she'll have to come up with better excuses from now on…

* * *

-Elsewhere-

A robust young man in his early 20's clad in well-made dark blue plate armour taking the appearance of an updated and bulkier Roman segmantata of Frankish artistry for the chest with full length greaves, sabatons and gauntlets stood on the side of the ship, up against the railing leading a fleet of 2000 men to Britain up the large river Dubglas. What was not covered in armor was wrapped by a pitch black under suit and mail. Sharp French features were complimented by spiky purple hair, strands jutting backwards as if he had repeatedly endeavored to keep it swept back, and a smaller, frontal cowlick of hair partially hanging over his forehead. This did not distract from his violet eyes that were a textbook example of the Alexandria's genesis.

When his father, King Ban of Benwick had pledged his loyalty to this so-called 'King of Knights', the young man had scoffed at the idea of such a king. For one to pull the holy sword that the widely renowned Merlin had enchanted to lead Britain out of darkness against the foreign hordes pillaging it while a tyrant sat on his false throne to merely do nothing of the darkness that was consuming the land. At first, he was intrigued but then he felt that such a knight was not really anything special; that is until he heard that his own people began comparing him and the King of Knights to one another.

"Young lord, what is it that dwells on your mind." One of the infantrymen to his right side asked the knight.

The knight turned his head to answer, "Merely the one we will be joining soon."

"You mean the heir of Uther Pendragon, Arthur?" The other infantryman that was younger to the knight's left asked, "I heard that he's been blessed by the Fae's with a magus to fight with him in battle!"

The other infantryman shook his head, "Don't believe everything you hear son. Fae's are a myth, and as for a magus…" The man scoffed at that bit, "…a magus would never join battle with soldiers and knights such as ourselves. They're snooty as well as uptight arse's to the point where battle would be something they spit on the notion." The man directed his next question to the knight, "What do you think mi lord?"

"Do not cast doubt so easily on the Fae, for I was raised by river fae in my younger years. I will see if Arthur is truly a worthy combatant. They call him the King of Knights. I must judge the young man myself if these rumors are to be true about a knight such as he to be compared to me." Lancelot du Lac was the son of King Ban across the sea from Britain and was a man that held an old friendship with the previous king, Uther. Upon his death, he swore to help his heir in retaking the island of Britain back from their enemies and would promise the heir a token amount of men and resources to help in his campaign.

At first, he didn't want to come, though he had no real choice given that his father ordered it, but with how the whispers reached his ears of how he and Arthur Pendragon were so alike in terms of being an honorable and chivalrous knight, he had to see the man for himself. Although that was merely in combat that he entered when fighting against singular opponents… his battle tactics were another thing entirely. They were not quite as such, primarily when Arthur had a magus in his company, the so-called 'Shadow'. Lancelot had no idea what to make of that if he was being honest with himself; strategies and tactics that guaranteed victory against their enemies whilst reducing casualties to save the lives of his own men, something that Lancelot did admit he admired… however, the battles were not conducted in the chivalric code that knights lived by. Rather a cunning mind was at work, and the king clearly had one.

Either way, they were coming up to the bay that went up into the river where they would no doubt be received soon by Arthur. That would be when he would give his own judgment to see if he was worthy of his titles and of the holy sword that only the true heir could pull from the stone.

Lancelot got back up on his feet as he made his way up to the captain to begin the preparations, "Captain, take us up to the riverbank docks. We'll start unloading the men and supplies an make our way to Linnuis up the river."

The captain nodded, "Yes, mi lord."

As Lancelot's ship began to dock with the riverbank, and the planks lowered to the ground; all of a sudden, an arrow sheared through the air and struck the young infantryman that Lancelot had only spoken to just moments ago, "AMBUSH!" Lancelot yelled aloud as he quickly took a bow and quiver of arrows from a nearby stand to begin firing down upon their attackers that were hiding in the tree line, however he was forced to grab a shield to block the arrows coming their way, "Grab a shield, all of you! Take cover!"

Their enemy was now making their way to the ship as infantrymen stormed the riverbank, however the captain signaled the few ships behind them to ready their archers to return fire, only to miss their marks haphazardly while managing to take care of some of the rushing enemies.

On enemy managed to rush through to Lancelot's ship, who raised his sword to take the life of a knight who had been struck in the knee only to be forced to lay on his side to try and stop the bleeding and take cover. Lancelot saw what was about to happen as he drew his sword to block the attackers blade, as he twisted his sword away to deliver a upwards slash that nearly cleaved the man in two, with a only his armor and an inch of flesh holding his human form, dropping dead on the deck as blood poured from the corpse/

Lancelot turned to give the captain further orders to relay to the ships, "Captain! Have our infantrymen get into the lifeboats and row to shore to start repelling the enemy!"

"Understood, mi lord!"

As Lancelot was about to rally the soldiers, he still had aboard his ship. However, he heard the rumbling of a cavalry running into the fray. He turned to see the emblem of the House of Pendragon upon the knights that were riding into battle, and lo and behold… he saw the fabled King of Knights with Caliburn raised high above his head, as he swung off to his side to behead one of the enemy.

He could see that Arthur held the air of a king, but he needed to see more if he was a truly noble knight.

* * *

"Work your way down to the river men! Give these traitors no quarter!" Gawain shouted as he dismounted his horse as he cut down the rebels relentlessly that charged them. Arturia and Bedivere were in the thickest of the fighting, with Naruto and his Shadow Clones moving about the battlefield.

Their armor had been flimsily made, along with several being amateurs that were no doubt freshly made soldiers sent to the battlefield to die, making them essentially cannon fodder to the more experienced and better skilled knight.

Gawain had made it down to the makeshift dock as six of the rebels rushed forward to strike him down, the Knight of the Sun concentrated on the two that rushed forward with swords raised above to cleave him into ribbons. Raising his sword in a horizontal slash to block the incoming blades, Gawain took the brunt of the force as he swatted the attacker's weapons away from him to turn his own position to slice their throats, as another rebel charged forward to stab him. He pivoted around the weapon at the last moment to deliver a downward slash that severed one of the hands, leaving him completely disarmed.

Gawain would have ended his screams of pain and shock, but alas such a time of action was not on his side.

Out of the corner of his eye, two lances attempted to spear him, "Nice try…" Gawain bent down to take a shield from a dead rebel that had fallen to one of their allies' arrows to cover himself from the spears thrown at him. They pierced the poorly made shield, but stopped before they could go any further into his armor. Taking hold of the handles nailed deeply into the shield, Gawain used his great upper body strength to wrench the the shield in a clockwise motion, conversely causing the handles of each lance to slip from the grips of the enemies.

As he quickly tossed away the shield and sprinted towards the two rebels who were in the process of drawing their swords, only to no longer have heads with a longsword decapitating them. Their heads bounced twice against the wooden decking of the dock, eventually rolling to a stop; their faces locked in a permanent gawp of shocked disbelief.

Before he noticed, a rebel came screaming at him with a shield and spear. Gawain would've taken him down, but he saw blurred fist fly through the air before the rebels head was literally punched off… and the culprit of such a deadly looking attack?

Naruto of course.

The Dead Apostle gave him a knowing look as he smirked at the knight, "That one almost had you Gawain."

The young knight could only roll his eyes, absentmindedly wiping some vicera from his chestplate, "I had that one, you know."

"Sure, you did." Naruto dropped the smirk as he directed his attention behind Gawain who had foregone wearing his usual teal cape. Both of the blondes were approached by a purple haired man with a sword at the ready as Naruto approached him alongside Gawain. "Name yourself, stranger!" he called to the newcomer.

"I'm Lancelot du Lac, son of King Ban." Introducing himself quickly, "Where's King Arthur of Britain?"

"Our king is in the heat of battle alongside Sir Bedivere." Gawain spoke before doing his own quick introduction, "I am Sir Gawain, and next to me is…"

"…I'm Naruto. Currently a student under Merlin and one of the King's retainers." The ninja introduced himself quickly, before his expression shifted to one of concentration before he turned to the now named Lancelot, "Hey, Lancelot. The King's got a plan on how to deal with the rebels…"

* * *

-A Few Minutes Ago-

Arturia cleaved another rebel in half as they kept coming and going from the tree line, while Bedivere seemed to be having a bit of trouble as he was now facing three opponents as opposed to one. He was forced onto the defense now with no chance to take an opening at the rebels as he was being backed into a corner.

Arturia slashed at another oncoming rebel with Caliburn in hand, and quickly sidestepped the falling corpse, "Hang on, Bedivere." Arturia leveled Caliburn to where she impaled one of the rebels about to strike at Bedivere's right side, as it drew the other two combatants attention towards her, giving Bedivere the opening he needed to knock one of the rebels onto his back as he swiped away at the ground where the rebel's neck was at. Arturia took Caliburn out from the corpse of the previous rebel as she parried a sword strike from the other rebel that tried to cut her down; she twisted around as she forced the sword to head off the opposite direction while she slashed at the rebel's left side, followed by splitting his skull in half.

Bedivere turned to his king, noting the current state of the battle, "My king. This battle is dragging out, and we can't afford to waste any more time here, while you are away from the defense of the homestead." The rebels were using hit and run tactics like Saxons would have used when outmatched or outnumbered.

She could understand his reasoning. Bedivere had come to be more akin to a personal guard than a regular knight and he worked better with multiple warriors beside him that he knew well enough, "You need not worry for my safety, Bedivere. Rather it is our allies that we must concern ourselves with."

She saw that the incoming ships were beginning to draw closer and dock, noticing Naruto and Gawain's mops of blonde hair in the distance. Next thing she knew, another Naruto appeared beside her as he threw some shuriken into a few rebels as he spoke up, "My king. The boss and Gawain linked up with the leader of our allies and awaiting your orders on how to finish this battle."

Arturia glanced back to the ships currently rolling in to begin providing support with knights and infantry, and towards the rebels down below battling her forces as the idea came to mind from their first battle, "We'll have our men form a phalanx to drive the rebels towards the water. Our allies will then rain down arrows upon the rebels to end things quickly."

The Shadow Clone nodded as he began to relay her orders back to the original.

* * *

-Now-

"He wants to do that?" Lancelot asked Naruto. Given their current situation, it probably would've been more preferable to unload his forces from the incoming ships, and push them towards Arthur's forces, however this was something that would end things with fewer casualties for them.

"Yes…" Naruto stated as he relayed Arturia's plan back to Lancelot. It seemed that she had been taking pointers from him in dealing with difficult and annoying situations like the one they were currently in, "…have your archers assemble on the decks to start showering the rebels, while we push them towards your positions with the water barring them from going any further."

Mulling it over in his head, Lancelot saw that the king seemed to care for his men. Something he could admire, "I understand, I'll signal the captains to line up the archers."

The young knight left to head back up to the deck while Naruto and Gawain were left back down on the bank to repel the stragglers that came down to try and board Lancelot's ship.

The blonde duo while not used to fighting alongside one another, were able to coordinate their attacks one after another as they saw Arturia and Bedivere rally the bulk of their forces to form the phalanx to begin the push. Naruto looked to Gawain as they nodded to one another; Naruto made his way back to Lancelot as added support for their new ally in attacking the rebels with his own unique brand of projectiles along with being extra protection for him as well.

Gawain began to rally the few men that followed him alongside the ninja down to pierce through the rebels to link up with their new allies, "Men! Fall back to the bank and form up on defense! Don't let any rebel get past us!"

"YES SIR!"

By this time, Lancelot had finished up relaying the ships' captains to get their archers on the decks with Naruto up next to him as the blonde pulled out some oddly shaped knives that had a tri-pronged tips, "Time to start weeding out a few rebels."

Lancelot watched as the blonde tossed the knives into the air where they landed in a straight line in front of the few Pendragon forces and his ships, which confused Lancelot, "Why would he…?" He stopped momentarily before just barely saw it.

A gray blur cut a swath right where the knives fell as the encroaching rebels fell in a shower of blood that erupted from their neck, all of which were now devoid of heads. The sudden action caught the rebels off guard as they tried to regroup and flee the battlefield…

"W-We have to retreat!"

"Their magus is amongst their numbers!"

…however, it seemed that King Arthur and Bedivere had rallied the bulk of their troops into a phalanx that began to push them back to the ships.

The young knight couldn't help but be astonished by this action, as such speed was impossible for mortal men… that is until the one named Naruto turned to him with a small smile on his face, "Well, I think that'll start the end up now." Lancelot understood now.

King Arthur had a Dead Apostle in his company. A retainer to the King of Knights was a vampire. Naruto was a magus under Merlin.

Lancelot saw more and more of just how Arthur was a just knight like himself, yet he needed to know more… to see more of Arthur's words and actions.

Seeing how the battle was shifting into their favor, Lancelot took the bow he held earlier as he began to line up his shot with the rest of the archers from his ship alongside as the others onboard the docking ships, while he was no archer he could at least shoot straight, "Archers! Draw!"

The Pendragon phalanx was pushing back the rebels, closer and closer…

"Loose!" Lancelot and his archers fired upon the rebels, felling many with every arrow as the phalanx pushed them further into the river, with Gawain and the soldiers he had to strike down any rebel that miraculously survived to get that far.

The process continued until the last rebel fell to the Pendragon forces and allies were victorious in the end. Naruto came down from Lancelot ship alongside said knight where the others awaited them, "Well, that went about as expected." Naruto said. _'Though Flying Raijin is still slower than usual, it must be because it is infringing on the territory of the Second Magic what with spacial teleportation.' _he thought to himself.

Lancelot was now able to see the king with his own eyes. A young man whose appearance shined with the air of a king, and the righteousness of a just knight. But appearances could always be misleading.

Arturia turned to Naruto as she furrowed her brows in confusion, "Yes, however… the number of rebels were not what I expected. A frontal assault like what I believed they would have done, would need greater forces."

The others nodded in the king's reasoning, that this was not what they expected from an attack by the rebels. Naruto thought of a reason as to why though from his experience in warfare, "They're desperate."

Gawain did see that Naruto was right to a point, "You're right. The previous assaults on the homestead had them expend a significant amount of troops that they could rally in the winter season…"

"…and the ones that opposed the king were never ones to have large forces, merely enough to defend their lands, not make marches across Britain." Bedivere finished up.

Naruto was about to say something, that is until he felt a sudden flash at the back of his mind and flinched. Arturia noticed this and spoke up, "Naruto? Are you alright?"

The ninja nodded, "I am, it's just that the exterior Bounded Field I set up at the edge of our territory was tripped." Naruto had set an additional Bounded Field at the furthest possible distance to give them an advanced warning before they crossed the interior fields, "They're going to attack later on, possibly in the middle of the night given their desperation. I think this is going to be their last assault."

Arturia nodded. A nighttime siege would be difficult, but thanks to the advance warning they had the advantage of time to plan a repel, "I see." Turning towards Lancelot, Arturia gave an order, "Lancelot of Benwick, have your forces disembark from the ships as we need to retreat back to the homestead."

Lancelot was at first going to rebuke the King, stating that he should have some input on where his men go. But then he looked at King Arthur, truly looked at him; saw that unwavering grace and willpower to protect his lands. Swallowing his pride, Lancelot complied with the king's order. Now that they had met, he was bound to uphold his father's pact to the Pendragon house, "Understood, King Arthur."

Arturia turned to the others, "Let's help our allies unload and ride back together."

Her retainers saluted as they bowed their head slightly, "Yes, my king."

If there was one thing Lancelot could say about the king… was that he was greatly impressed by the loyalty he commanded alongside the planning, he made to reduce their casualties.

"Once the rebels have been defeated tonight, tomorrow we will begin gathering up their belongings and make arrangements to have them sent to their families."

And the just & noble actions he took towards his fallen enemies… perhaps… perhaps this was a king he could serve faithfully…

* * *

Having arrived back at the homestead after an hour and a half's ride, Arturia had Ector and Lancelot work with one another to begin merging their forces together while Bedivere and Gawain took to the training grounds to instruct the newer recruits, while Kay went over their manifest of supplies and armaments.

Arturia however dragged Naruto along with her to the forge. No doubt for whatever it was she went there previously in the day, "So why exactly are we heading to the forge, my king?"

Arturia turned her head slightly to Naruto while she kept on towards their destination, "After the first battle, I was worried about your safety in future conflicts. So, I decided to make a commission to the finest smith in Britain to forge you armor."

So that's what she went to check up on, "That's ugh… I mean… while that's really kind of you, you didn't have to go out of your way to have armor made for me." Naruto said as he blushed slightly, not used to receiving gifts like this, "I mean the weapons that our enemies use won't be any good against me."

Arturia nodded in agreement, however… "And while I agree with you on that matter, there's no telling when our enemies will come across mystic codes that could harm you." She wagged a finger at him in a playful chastising manner, "A warrior in battle without armor, might as well be a naked fool in the field. It is best to be ready for an eventuality that may never come than to not."

Naruto grumbled a bit before Arturia chuckled a bit at his childish response. Even though Naruto was well over a century old, he was still a young man at heart. They arrived at the forge where Harrit stepped outside to greet the king and the magus apprentice, "My king. The requisition you made has been completed and I was on my way to inform you."

Arturia nodded, "Thank you, Harrit. I'm sure you work will be splendid." Turning towards Naruto, she gestured for him to step next to her as she placed a hand on his shoulder, "This is the one whom the armor is meant for."

Harrit smiled as he gestured for Naruto to follow him inside the hut, "Young man, this armor is by far among the greatest, if not THE greatest work that this forge has crafted yet." Stepping inside, Harrit showcased what was on a mannequin.

Naruto saw that the armor was very familiar in a sense, though given who made the order, he shouldn't be surprised, "Wow…"

Harrit tapped him on the shoulder, "I'll step outside to give you the chance to change into it."

The forge head rejoined Arturia outside where he informed her of what Naruto was doing. After a few minutes, the door opened up as Naruto stepped outside into the snow where Arturia could almost see a mirror image of herself if she were born a man.

She smiled at the sight, "Naruto. You are a proper warrior now in that armor." He blushed in response. Arturia turned to Harrit and thanked the man, "I thank you, Harrit. You do fine work at your forge."

The forge master bowed his head before he left, "Thank you, my king. It was an honor to forge armor for one of your retainers." The man went back to his duties as forge master with the rest of the workers, leaving Arturia and Naruto alone as she took in the full appearance of his new armor.

It was somewhat correct to call it a deep blue trench coat given how it hung around his shins but also had a frontal flap similar to Arturia's combat garb. Full length sleeves adorned each arm with a single large black strip at each forearm. Attached to the back of the coat was a black hood with small white lines. The chest was wrapped in a tightly fitting steel plate cuirass with spiraling black details set upon the clavicle. A pair of matching rounded shoulder guards adhered well to his shoulders by brown straps, intricately placed to hide them from view. Each of his legs was adorned in tight fitting greaves and sabatons that matched how each of his hands bore a well fettled gauntlet, the vambraces hiding beneath the sleeves.

All in all, it was a good mix between mobility and defense with the hood complementing the wearer's mysterious nature. Naruto though could tell that it had been modeled on Arturia's battle dress, only for a masculine wearer with additional armor where Arturia had none. One thing that was apparent was that while Arturia's armor was a royal blue and polished steel, Naruto's was a bewitching steel blue and sky silver.

"I… I don't know what to say…" Naruto mumbled to himself.

Naruto was not used to being showered with gifts like this armor or Dun Stallion. Never once did anyone do so out of concern for his own well being and safety. To be given such things… it made him a little warm on the inside.

Arturia stepped forward as she clasped his forearms and looked straight into his eyes, "Naruto, has anyone never truly given you something like this before?" She could see that he was truly speechless at this gift. Even when she gifted Dun Stallion to him, he wasn't quite sure how to react to it. And now with the armor that was almost a copy of hers, he seemed emotionally affected by it. Was he mistreated in his homeland or have no one to care for him?

Naruto scratched the back of his head as he recalled the first true gift, he ever received in his life…

_"Okay, you can open your eyes now. Congratulations, you graduate! Let's celebrate! I'll by you some of Ichiraku's ramen!"_

The memory of that day… his graduation from the Academy…

"Well, I mean… I was given a gift when I graduated from the academy." The ninja explained a bit, "It was from my old teacher, Iruka-sensei. He was the first person to actually acknowledge me; the headband he gave me… it showed that I'd become an adult, a ninja like I always strived to be like. But something to protect me, or something that'd help me? I… I never…" His lips quivered slightly before he felt Arturia's grip on his arms tighten up.

She looked him straight in the eye before speaking to him, "I'm sorry if I brought you any discomfort."

Naruto quickly gripper her hands as he placed them away from himself, "No, not at all! I mean, it was a good memory honestly." He couldn't deny that while the memory was something that warmed his heart, the pain that came with it in how he would never see Iruka or anyone else ever again. By now… they were all probably long dead and Sasuke's ideal of being the 'Hokage' was in effect.

Shaking his head of the pain, Naruto quickly changed his demeanor into one that was both happy and grateful, "Either way. Thank you, my king." Naruto glanced down briefly at the chest plate before he looked to Arturia's quickly before she noticed the direction of his gaze, though it seemed that she could've cared less if he did stare for a bit.

No doubt her 'male' mindset had the effect on her own modesty. Though he could be wrong.

Arturia could tell that Naruto's smile was a false one, merely trying to ease her mind of his previous pain. She would ask him later just how old he was, however for now she would go along with his intentions, "Think nothing of it, Naruto." Arturia smiled, "You're my retainer and a subject of my kingdom and as such, your safety and happiness are my priority. Just as your duty as my retainer is yours." Turning back to the manor, she gestured for Naruto to follow her, "Now come. We have a battle to plan out for tonight…"

Naruto nodded, though he felt something was missing from that sentence…

"…and dinner of course."

Yup.

"Right, my king."

The duo returned to the manor where right outside the doorstep, Lancelot was waiting for them. Judging from his leaning against the building, he had been waiting at least ten minutes for Arturia specifically, going by his gaze being directed towards her. Both blondes were curious as to why to which Arturia spoke up on their behalf, "Lancelot, I thought you and Sir Ector were merging our forces together for our campaign across Britain?"

Lancelot was no longer leaning as he approached the two of them, "I'd like to ask you something, if I'm not overstepping my bounds, King Arthur." Whatever it was that he wanted to ask Arturia, must've been serious if he put it like that.

The presence of the king washed over them as Arturia put her 'King-face' on as she nodded, "Let's head inside. I intended to call a war meeting anyways, so we can discuss whatever it is that you'd like beforehand."

"I understand." Lancelot opened the manor doors for Arturia and Naruto to step through all the while the knight gave Naruto an inquisitive look that showed curiosity more than disdain.

As soon as Arturia stepped through, Periwinkle ran up to her as the lion cub rubbed her legs affectionately. She bent down to his level as she hugged the lion and stroked his fur along the back of the giant cat, "Hello, Periwinkle. I'm back now so you don't have to worry about me." The lion cub licked her face as she chuckled a little at the cub's actions. Lancelot looked to Naruto for an answer, though that was more from what she called the lion than actually having one in her possession, with the ninja only shrugging in response to his question.

Arturia got back up as Periwinkle made his way back to the fireplace for its warmth. Pivoting back around to Lancelot, she addressed him, "Now that we're inside, what is it that you wished to ask of me, Lancelot?"

Stepping forward to look the king in the eye, Lancelot needed to know something greatly… "King Arthur. What is it that you are striving to do in your campaign?"

There it was.

What was it that she truly was doing in the end?

She knew exactly what it was she had set out to do, and she would not hide from it, "My intentions, my plan from the very beginning has been to unite Britain and form a utopia that will endure for centuries." Arturia could see that Lancelot was intrigued, but not quite convinced, "A place where a man is entitled to the sweat of his own brow. Where a woman is able to care and comfort those that she loves. Where the children are able to smile freely and enjoy their innocence. Where there is no war, no famine, no plague." She began to smile a bit at the ideal world she wanted to build, "A place where just laws protect the people and the rights of its citizens, where just rulers govern and lead into a brighter future. This is my ideal. My conviction. My dream for Britain."

Just like what Merlin told her about the ever-distant utopia.

Avalon.

Lancelot closed his eyes as he saw that the king's answer was not what he expected. He believed that the King of Knights simply wanted to retake the throne that was wrongfully stolen from him. But now? Now he saw that he held a dream that while it seemed childish… it was a dream one worth following. One that even had a Dead Apostle in the service to a king that was just and kind.

"I see…" Lancelot had a smile grace his features, "…thank you for answering my question, King Arthur."

Naruto could see that Arturia's charisma was infectious with Lancelot's change. She had that effect on people, "Well, it looks like we'll all get along swimmingly." Naruto proclaimed, "So, what's your story, Lancelot?"

Once again, Lancelot was surprised by the current company he was with, "I… beg your pardon?"

The king could see his clear confusion on the question, "I believe that Naruto wishes to know you better since we will be fighting alongside one another in the coming days."

"Ahh, I see then…" Lancelot composed himself before he introduced himself, "My mother died when I was very young; as such, my father had raised me on his own, but his duties as King in Britannia prevented from spending much time with me." Naruto could see a bit of emptiness within his eyes, similar to how he was when he had no parents. At least Lancelot had his father to raise him; something he didn't really receive anything of the semblance until Iruka started cracking down on him.

"One day as I was hiking through the hills of land, I came across a Fae by the name of Nimue. She taught me the just and righteous ideals that knights upheld, and thus I decided to become what I am today. A knight." Now that actually caught them off guard, Naruto especially. He knew that Fae's could be very tricky and cruel, although those that actually cared for mortals were an extremely rare sight, and almost unheard of. Either the Fae was an individual that took care in mortals, or Lancelot made an impression on her to govern such an action and change its outlook on humans. Both were probabilities that could only occur for Lancelot to speak of the Fae in such a way.

"As I rose to my rank, my father sent me alongside the men that came with me today to support you." Lancelot continued, "When I heard about you, King Arthur. I was skeptical. I didn't think there was a knight that could be kind & fair. But when I saw you on the battlefield; when you told me of your ideals… I was proven just how wrong I was." He bowed his head slightly in apology, "Please forgive me for my skepticism."

Arturia quickly waved it off, "There's no need to apologize, Lancelot. Your skepticism is warranted." The resulting rebellion was an example of that skepticism albeit taken to the extreme. Changing the subject around, she turned to Naruto, "Naruto. Have one of your duplicates call for a war meeting. We need to prepare for tonight's assault."

Nodding at his king's request, Naruto created a Shadow Clone in front of Lancelot who stepped back in surprise at the action before he eased up, "I'm on it, boss." The NaruClone saluted to the original as he vanished with the door swinging in and out quickly before it closed again.

Naruto sighed before rubbing his forehead, "I really need to get them to be better."

Arturia turned to Lancelot who looked both confused and astonished at the action, "You'll get used to it, eventually."

* * *

Night had fallen, as the townsfolk had gone to sleep with the guard rotations now picking up to keep a watchful eye on the surrounding forests and lands along with the river. They all had been made aware that an invasion force was coming to siege the homestead so were all making doubly sure to lookout for them so sortieing could be simplified as quickly and easily as possible.

Naruto was riding Dun Stallion with a cart of flour in tow out to the field that had been soaked with the blood of battle previously. Now it would be the setting of the last battle against the rebels.

Halting Dun, Naruto dismounted the horse as he undid the cart from his steed before patting his hands together, "Alright, that should be the last one." The horse nuzzled up to Naruto as the ninja pat Dun on the nose, "This should put the odds in our favor." Naruto looked off to the forests as he double checked the other preparations. He saw one of his Shadow Clones wave off to him at the top of a tree, ready to give the signals.

The interior Bounded Fields were set off as he felt that the rebel army was enclosing on the homestead like those previously.

"Looks like their arriving faster than expected." He turned to the Shadow Clone at the top of the tree and nodded off as Naruto mounted Dun once again as he made a beeline for the furthest flour cart at the edge of the field, ready to make it burst open. The Shadow Clone concentrated on gathering up the Mana as he sent a blue surge into the sky, one that only Arturia could see.

* * *

Standing atop the battlements, Arturia stepped forward as she saw the small Mana Flare meant for her. Naruto's idea to help put the numbers in their favor was both a clever smokescreen and a sneak attack. All that was needed was for Naruto's first part, and her second part with Caliburn. Recalling what Merlin wrote in his letter before he vanished when she tried to punish him for being a pervert, she slowly began to channel her Mana Core to the sword all the while waiting patiently for the next signal.

Ector and Kay stood off to her right while Lancelot on the left; their archers lined up with their bows and quivers at the ready. Bedivere and Gawain both were outside with their contingent of men at the ready from Naruto's signal.

"King Arthur…" Lancelot spoke up, garnering her attention, "…are you certain this plan will work? It's all too... strange…" He heard that the king's strategies were just as he said, but this was far too unorthodox even for a knight.

Arturia kept her eyes on the field as she continued the process of charging her sword, a golden light beginning to emanate from within the metal like dawn on a midsummer's day, pushing away the coldness of the winter's night, "Have faith, Lancelot. The plan will work." A small smile spread across her face. Naruto's little ideas and strategies always seemed to pull through.

It dropped as the rebel army came through the tree line at the opposite end of the field, "Now it begins."

"Archers!" Ector spoke aloud, "Draw!"

Now it was up to Naruto.

* * *

"ANY MAN DIES WITH A CLEAN SWORD AND I'LL HAVE THE DOGS RAPE HIS FUCKING CORPSE!" came the bestial call of a helmet clad rebel from atop his horse, drawing a rousing cheer from his rebellious men.

_'What words of encouragement…'_ Naruto thought to himself as he sweatdropped. It seems that the rebel leaders were now out of patience along with being desperate. He could make out in the night air that this was indeed Lord Cerdic that was leading things.

Patting Dun on the side, Naruto saw that now was the time to put the flour carts to good use, "Alright buddy. Let's do this." Forming another Shadow Clone to ride behind him for his part, Naruto formed a Wind Blade from a kunai as he smashed it open to let the contents out as his Shadow Clone waved his hands to channel Wind Magecraft into the air as he spread the flour through the air. He continued on until the last one was broken up with the flour now palpating the field.

"What the bloody hell?"

"Is this a joke?"

"What a pitiful smokescreen."

Naruto could hear their snickers across the field from his vampiric enhancements, "Oh boy, are they in for a treat." The rebel army continued through the flour cloud without a care in the world as they began to charge up to the main gate.

How little they truly knew…

* * *

Arturia saw that the flour was in the air, ready for the net step. With Caliburn fully charged, she began to unleash its power, "Please watch me. I will bring you victory! Sword of Selection grant me power! Cleave the wicked! CALIBURN!" Pointing the tip of the sword out in front of her towards the cloud of flour, the beam of Mana shot out in a bright light that signaled the beginning of the battle.

Flour was such a mundane item in the face of Magecraft, indeed while it was used for bread and other forms of food it was at its core a substance that contained energy. If you put a fire to flour it would burn. However if you allowed flour to rest in the air you increase its surface area exponentially and with this growth, so too did the explosive potential of the flour shoot through the roof. The harmless smoke screen? It was now more explosive than any powder keg and the troops marched in like they were gods amongst men...they would soon find out where they stood once they were laid low by flour.

In the dark of the night with only the torches from the battlements as well as those brought by the rebels, and the moon light… a great fire took the place of the flour cloud as the rebels who were inside were consumed by the flames. It jumped between each molecule of flower like some triumphant god of valor, ravenous in its desire to consume the rebels in its fiery gullet.

The screams of agony and pain rang through the night as Arturia drove them from her ears to keep focus on the battle itself. Necessary evil it may be, but death is still death.

Arturia highly doubted that this would dissuade the rebels from backing down, given their desperation. And she was proven right. She could make out the shape of a siege machine emerging from the tree line beyond the flames.

Ector raised his arm to signal for the archers to be ready, "Draw!"

* * *

Lord Cerdic was angry. Very angry… the flour cloud that sprung up was simply a half-arsed measure to blind them. He laughed at the matter with Arthur using this pitiful move to buy time. Amused that the great King Arthur would enlist mills and bakers to defend his pathetic homestead. That is until the fiery explosion engulfed many of the troops. Now many of them were wanting to sound the retreat but he wasn't going to have it.

"Son of a bitch…" Turning towards his second-in-command, he gave his next set of orders, "… get the siege equipment out and ram that fucking gate down!"

The second-in-command looked to Cerdic with disbelief and would've voiced it, had Cerdic not grabbed him by the collar, "What're you waiting for? Do as I say!"

"B-But mi lord…!"

"Goddamn if they have a magus, I want Arthur's head!"

Cerdic shoved him to the ground as he began to yell out loud now to all of the troops, "I DON'T GIVE A DAMN WHAT ARTHUR HAS, WE'RE TAKING THAT SETTLEMENT AND DRAGGING THAT STUPID BOY DOWN FROM HIS FALSE THRONE!"

He twisted his head as he motioned for the siege equipment to begin heading into the field, directly towards the main gate. The previous assaults had made it clear that the moat surrounding the homestead made it impossible for them to scale the walls up to the battlements. Traversing the river was also impossible given the ice could break down if they tried to step on it. The front gate was their only option, and as such, they needed a battering ram.

"Form a perimeter around the battering ram and break that door down!" Cerdic pointed his sword right where the bright light that ignited the fire. Right at King Arthur. "The sword should have chosen me you little shit, ME!"

He could see that as the siege ram was moving across the field under protection, Ector had already ordered the archers to fire off their arrows, but they didn't seem to do much in terms of stopping the advance. Only slow it down briefly.

Seeing that the rebels were pushing for another attack with the siege ram in the lead, the NaruClone shot up another Mana Flare, this time colored green shot up.

It was Gawain's turn now.

* * *

Gawain saw Naruto's signal meant for his forces to begin the flanking charge to eliminate those that managed to escape the blazing inferno. It was almost as if a dragon had scorched the Earth, although his aunt basically was with her Dragon's Blood, so it wasn't entirely impossible to say such a thing.

Now though they decided to try and continue on with a frontal assault, and just as predicted they believed they could still win.

Drawing his sword, Gawain let out a cry, "Company! Charge the enemy! For the King of Knights, King Arthur!" He led the charge out from his side of the field with a direct line into the rebels behind the siege ram. Gawain took the head off several rebels before dismounting his steed to continue combating the enemy force.

"This feels too easy…" It was a little too easy in fact. There weren't as many infantries as they expected to try and break down the main gates, with no knights or paladins to reinforce their assault. Their cavalry was mostly wiped away in the previous battles, leaving only the formerly mentioned troops left to combat them.

"SEND THE SECOND WAVE OF TROOPS! WIPE THEIR FLANKING CHARGE OUT!"

Snapping his head to the source of the vice, Gawain saw that Lord Cerdic gave the order with the aforementioned soldiers running into battle to bring them down. He gave an annoyed sigh at this, "Damn… they just won't make things easy."

But then again…

* * *

Naruto regrouped with Bedivere and his company on the opposite end, "You were right…" Bedivere began, "…they did have their better trained soldiers held back."

Naruto believed that they'd likely hold back the higher tier soldiers while they send in just the infantry regulars as a means to make them overconfident. If they managed to break down the doors into the homestead, then the rebels would send in their knights and paladins to try and attack Arturia with the rest of the inner circle.

"And now, it's our turn to put the odds back in our favor." Naruto said.

Bedivere could see that Naruto was trembling in excitement with the thrill of battle flowing through his body. Over the last few months, he learned that Naruto was from a group of warriors that enjoyed battle, but he himself was not fond of the taking of life. Despite being a supposed 'monster' that thrived in the darkness… never once did he ever give off the feeling of being dark himself.

The young knight felt that Naruto was more of a brother in arms with is dedication to their king, "That it is." Raising his sword as Naruto put up his hood up, Bedivere let out a cry, "Company! Charge! Do not let the rebels assault our brothers in arms! In the name of King Arthur, charge!"

"AYE!"

The resounding company came down into the reinforcing rebels with a loud bang. Gawain's own company merged into Bedivere's as the rebels began to put up a fight, however the Pendragon's superior numbers broke through as they took down the siege ram before it made its way to the door.

Naruto's Shadow Clone took the reigns of Dun while the original leapt off to join the battle. Taking a kunai as he applied Wind Mana to the knife and extend it into a sword as he began to dive into the thick of the fight. Slitting throats, jabbing spines, nicking limbs, etc. Wind may have been 'the noble element' but that didn't stop Naruto from committing barbarism with it. A few of their archers from the rear attempted to fire at him, however Naruto simply grabbed a rebel and used him as a shield with his body no knocked full of arrows.

Tossing the meat shield away, he lifted his face towards the archers as he activated his Mystic Eyes of Enchantment to immobilize them. Taking a few shuriken out from his pouch, Naruto threw them into their heads as the weapons embedded into their skulls. Seeing Cerdic was now in his sights, Naruto quickly rushed towards the now frightened rebellious lord and attempted to grab him by the throat, however a lone knight attempted to stop but it was for naught. Naruto simply backhanded the armored knight as he practically crushed the armor with blood spurting out from the mouth of his helm and crushed parts of armor.

Naruto took Cerdic by the collar and held him up high with a kunai held to his throat, "Yield the battle to King Arthur, now." His red slitted eyes bore into the man's brown to put the man into a state of fear where he would agree to absolutely anything. With his hood up Naruto looked like the very spectre of death itself.

"I yield! Stand down men!"

And with that, the battle came to an end quickly.

The rounding up of the stragglers came to an end with Arturia confronting Lord Cerdic and sentencing him to prison until a proper tribunal could be held with the other rebellious lords and judgment to be given upon them for their actions to dethrone her.

Now, they were about to retire for the evening, however there was something that was about to commence…

* * *

The inner circle had returned to the manor to retire for the evening, but Lancelot stepped up to speak before anyone else started, "King Arthur. My I speak with you?"

Arturia turned to Lancelot, "Of course, Lancelot. What is it that you wish to say?"

Clearing his throat before speaking, Lancelot stood straight and tall to express his thoughts, "King Arthur. I asked you what it was that you wished to do in your campaign. You said something that feels like a child's dream. But that does not mean it is wrong at all." He swallowed before continuing on, feeling nervous for what he was about to ask of the king, "I honestly thought that such a person could not exist. That such a just, king and caring king could exist. I thought you were a folly made up to inspire, but I was wrong. Tonight, when your men fought on your behalf with such loyalty and conviction to your ideals." And here it came, "Please. Allow me to serve you through and through as a knight unto your service." Lancelot had bent a knee to bow his head in asking of such a thing.

Naruto was caught off guard by this as he never really saw any of the other knights show such conviction early on, though he was different in such a regard… or maybe he and Lancelot both were captivated by Arturia with Caliburn in hand…?

The others were in silence as they awaited Arturia's response. Most likely deciding whether or not to allow Lancelot into the inner circle. She turned to Naruto seeing his counsel as a comfort, he stared back and forth between herself and Lancelot as he gave a thumbs up her, no doubt seeing that he would be a great knight in their campaign.

"I would ask you to kneel, but it is fortunate that you are already doing so." Taking a step forward, Arturia unsheathed Caliburn as she held the sword in front of her wit the tip pointed up to the ceiling, "Lancelot du Lac. Wilt thou on this day, pledge fealty to the Isles of Britain and act as one of her Knights?"

"Yes, your highness."

"Does thy wish to abandon thyself, and swear to be the shield & sword of our humble nation?"

"Yes, your highness."

"And does thou vow to never waver in this duty, to act forevermore as a Paragon of Justice & Righteousness?"

"Yes, your highness."

The tip of Caliburn touched his right shoulder, followed by his left, both ever so softly.

"Then I, Arthur Pendragon, son of Uther of the House of Pendragon do hereby dub thee Sir Lancelot of Britain. Let this fact be known to all who gaze upon you. Arise, Sir Lancelot."

Lancelot stood as a lone tear streamed down his face, "I thank you, your majesty. I will endeavor to show you that you will not regret this."

Suddenly, Lancelot felt an arm wrap around his neck, pulling him into a sort of oddly positioned hug if one could call it that, though he had seen it in the taverns when men would relax and bond with one another after a day's hard work. Turns out it was the vampire, Naruto, "Congrats, man! Now you're part of our little inner circle." He said with a cheeky smile before continuing, "Now though, I believe there's a secret that your have to keep regardless of the circumstances."

Lancelot was not aware of this, "A secret?" Secrets could at times either do great harm, or great good.

"Yes…" Arturia had sheathed Caliburn at this point, "…as a member of the inner circle, you must know something that can never be shared outside of this room." Undoing the bow that tied her hair up, she waved it around before staring at Lancelot whose eyes were wide in shock, "My true name, is Arturia Pendragon. Daughter of Uther Pendragon and heir to Britain. I am a woman."

For once, Lancelot was speechless at this secret. This… this piece of information was extremely damming to their campaign, and her right to rule as well as carry out her ideals. But Lancelot was not one to back down from his oaths, and he had just been sworn in as a knight to Arturia. However, this revelation made him smile before he spoke up, "I see… I am in the company of people who are truly unlike anything else in the world. A young girl who is the King of Knights that leads many with ideals pure in thought, with loyalty stronger than steel." Then he turned to Naruto, "And who has a being that is one of darkness, fighting on the side if the light. To have such charisma and conviction, I am honored to be of service to you, my king." Lancelot bowed his head once more to Arturia as she did her hair up once again.

"Welcome, Sir Lancelot. To our campaign to unite Britain." Arturia finished.

Naruto however spoke up next, "You know, now that we've been gaining more and more people to our cause, wouldn't it be a good idea to set up the future capital? Someplace where we can move across the island with ease, have advantages from the environment, etc." Naruto saw that with many people now pledging their loyalty, their swords, lances, lives, and all that jazz to her, the homestead would not be a good place to protect and defend themselves as well govern the country.

"He has a point, Arturia." Ector said, "If we intend to grow more, we will need a new place to stay. I doubt this homestead will be able to take on consecutive sieges, as really the winter season is the only advantageous time of the year here, and we will be fighting across all seasons."

Placing a hand under shin, Arturia tried to wonder where exactly they could build, "We can discuss that tomorrow morning when we all have more energy to debate such a thing. For now, though, I believe that perhaps settling on a name for it will be a start."

Naruto was curious about this subject… especially after naming the lion Periwinkle, "What do you want to name the city, my king?"

"I believe I will name it… Camelot. It's not quite Avalon, but close enough to maybe one day it can become as such." And thus, the name of Britain's greatest legend sprung froth on this night.

* * *

-Elsewhere; Fortress Vortigern on Mount Agned-

Here sat the supposed throne of the 'True King' Vortigern, whom was truly a tyrant on the isle of Britain. He had maneuvered to dethrone his brother in order to preserve the mystery, or rather what little of it remained for his country, even if it meant committing atrocities and making the people loathe him. Now he sat on his stone throne eating away at fruits brought to him, and now hearing the messenger's words. Light seemed to bend around the tyrant king, as if it could not fall upon one so vile as he that murdered his own brother in the name of his own perverted sense of 'salvation'.

"SO… my nephew has spat on my good graces…" Vortigern was not happy with this response, "…and he wishes for me to march myself down and force him to bend the knee?"

The messenger was standing before his king; instead of being confident and at ease with the presence of Vortigern, he was fearful, "Y-Yes… Arthur will not yield to you, my king. Nor will he turn over the fleeing traitors in his company. Even now after having dealt with several rebellious lords who neither sided with you or your brother, have fallen to his cunning in battle."

Vortigern tapped his fingers rhythmically on the throne, although his fists soon balled up as rage boiled up within him, "I see…" Quickly getting up from his throne, he took the goblet he was sipping wine from and threw it against the wall, splattering the red wine all over the wall and floor, he had long since ceased being able to taste anything aside from the coppery flavour of the white dragon's blood that forever lingered on his tongue. "…I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE KILLED THE WOMEN THAT NIGHT AS WELL!"

Stepping down from his throne, he began to pace around as the messenger could only look to the ground in shame for having brought his king this message.

"I kill my younger brother because the right of kingship belonged to me from the very beginning. I captured and chained the White Dragon down below us to gain its power to inspire fear into the populace. I slaughtered his wife to prevent an heir from being born. I allow the Saxons to take what they want so long as they stay out of my affairs and ensure Mystery is kept in our homeland. But now…!" He sucked his teeth in anger, "Now that bastard claims to be the rightful king! I should've sent an assassin or several spies into his company to slit his throat in the night!" Vortigern would have continued on with his rant but was quickly silenced by the feminine voice that arose.

"Now this is unsightly."

All occupants in the throne room turned to the throne as they saw Morgan le Fay appear from black mist, sitting ever so casually with a swagger befitting one who was meant to rule, "A king who rages over something so small, is terrible to see."

Vortigern frowned at this woman, knowing her reputation although unaware of her lineage and their family connection, "What is it that you want, Fae?"

Morgan gave a sweet smile that promised anything but sweet, "Me? Oh, well… all I could say is that I merely wish to help a king that yearns to secure the mystery of our era to keep magic alive." Morgan vanished into the mist as she reappeared behind him, "I can help you maintain your grip over your lands, and even provide aid in taking that which is in Arthur's hands."

Vortigern knew that such aid from a Fae came at a heavy price, "And just what is it that you want in return, Fae?"

Morgan placed a finger on her lips as she pressed for her desire for giving aid to an idiot such as this one, "I want… Arthur alive, and unscathed. I have plans for him in fact." Raising a finger in front of Vortigern's face before raising a second one, "I also want the red-eyed magus that is in his inner circle." And a third finger rose up, "And last but not least, I want the White Dragon you have underneath the fortress." Vortigern glared at her before she spoke quickly, "Oh come now… you had to have expected me to ask of such things, no?"

The tyrant king could only glare at Morgan before asking his own question, "What is it that you have invested in my nephew and some magus in his company? And why do you want the White Dragon?"

Morgan merely made shrugging gesture sarcastically before responding, "Perhaps I just want a pet dragon? Perhaps I want some playthings for me to violate in mind, body and soul?" She wouldn't deny that she wanted to violate that vampire and make her sister watch every waking moment of it as she took all the pleasure from their coupled pain. "What do you care for material objects? You are but a hole in the world no?"

"…what is that you have to offer?" Vortigern hesitantly asked, however he did not lose his composure lest he appear weak in front of his subjects.

Morgan merely smiled in a sickly way that promised everything he wanted. But she knew even in the end he would most likely fail. She would get what she wanted in the end, like always…

* * *

_Codex Apostletos_

_Taken from the notes of L. Barthomeloi_

_Subject: Naruto Uzumaki_

_Entry Number: 4_

_There has been much conjecture as to the actions of Uzumaki during the years prior to his entrance into the association but after he drops off of the map, figuratively speaking. It is of my opinion that Uzumaki has something to do with Arthurian legend given that he has vested great interest in attaining items from that era combined with the name of his primary associate [REDACTED]. I have poured over the Bartholmeloi family archives many a time to see if I could find some linking factor or text that would place Uzumkai in this time period and for the longest time I can say categorically that I was unsuccessful. The battle of Camlann seems to have coincided with a massive burning of the documents kept at the time, making it a catalyst as to why the era in question is thought of as nothing more than myth by the mundane population._

_Wandering Sea snatched up many of the documents that remained and they are not particularly fond of sharing but in the last few months I was able to find a single exert from an epic describing the life of Arthur that does not fit in with the common knowledge of the era, ergo I can deduce that it may have something to do with Uzumaki. this is what i found._

_The Knight of Sky Silver_

_"For all the radiance of the King of Knights there was indeed a shadow he cast. All members of the Round Table cast this shadow and from it came the one we all forget, the Knight of Sky Silver. Clad in hooded robes befitting a Magus it is true to say he was a practitioner of the Arcane but his actions sometimes spoke to the contrary. He would charge into battle, sword in hand but cast spells sourced from myriad lands; of which he attained as a student of the flowers._

_When Great Gawain stood against Escanor the Proud, the hooded knight watched on from the clouds, and better still when Lancelot lay disarmed the strange magus provided him with oaken arms. But for all his strength in war and magic, and abilities that caused sense itself to bend, that Knight of Sky Silver... failed his king in the end."_

* * *

**And done!**

**Holy crap, I think this is probably the longest chapter I've ever written on this site. I was hoping to get this chapter out sooner, but several factors and circumstances prevented it from happening, but oh well.**

**So yes, Arturia has finally dealt with the rebellious lords, begun the legend of the capital city of Camelot with its naming, introduced Lancelot, and now Naruto has Proto Arthur's armor.**

**The next chapter will be another timeskip but don't hate me for that as trying to do the 20 years of Arturia's campaign and reign over Britain is extremely difficult, so timeskips are a must with this story. Especially when things begin to come together in the present.**

**I do have some NarutoxFate/stay night story challenges if anyone is interested in taking them up, feel free to PM me to ask the details.**

**Be sure to read, review, favorite and follow this story, as well as the others on my profile.**

**And please, tell me what you guys liked and/or disliked about this chapter.**


	5. Chapter 4: The Rise of Camelot Part IV

**New chapter, yeah!**

**Though no one seems to really be all that supportive of the previously mentioned petitions and that makes me sad honestly. Does no one want a remake of the Fate route with Kinoku Nasu writing it out to make it better and with Ufotable's mastery of animation, and have it as a series like the UBW route as opposed to a film trilogy like the Heaven's Feel route?**

**I mean come on, it'd be great for Ufotable to end the entirety of Fate/stay night on a note that leaves pretty much almost everyone with a happy ending, and then there's the Realta Nua's "Last Episode"! It'd be a great send off! Granted, some fans will claim it's just copying Apocrypha's epilogue, but Realta Nua came before that, so that argument is null & void.**

**And then there's the Camelot storyline detailing its rise & fall. It can serve as a sort of prequel to the Fate route and it would also tie-in well with Fate/Zero given what occurs in that series with shedding light on Lancelot's descent into madness. Hell, it would even be good to shed more light on Gawain in Fate/Extra Last Encore and Mordred in Fate/Apocrypha.**

**Also, I posted a NarutoxFate/stay night challenge up on my profile. It was an older idea that I had, but this one proved to be a bit more interesting. Either way, all of the details are within the challenge and if you wish to take it up, PM me or leave a Review. Details can be subject to change, to which we can discuss that in PM's.**

**Anyways, I responded to some reviews in PM's, but there were some that I was unable to do so or they didn't respond since there's no telling given that alerts on this site are kinda weird at times –**

**kusvlin – LOL XD ! This is hilarious! "kill yourself autistic faggot" What are you twelve? I think you should go back to elementary and relearn writing and the English language XD !**

**Bonkey1996 – Naruto isn't a Servant. He's still alive. The Prologue showcased that; instead he's going to be a Master in a Grail War.**

**Orchamus – Indeed… but, it is something that is destined to happen given the Prologue's showcase.**

**Banjo the Fox – I don't think you understand just how powerful the Dead Apostles & True Ancestors of TYPE-MOON really are…**

**PasiveNox – Thanx, though what all did you like and/or dislike about the new chapter?**

**Johnny Shit Knuckles – Glad that you're enjoying the story, and yes, Naruto is getting involved with the Grail Wars, specifically the 4th Fuyuki Grail War: Fate/Zero.**

**Markus-Antonius – Glad that you're enjoying the story as well as the journal entries :) So, thoughts on those petitions? Any chance you wanna help out? It'd be pretty awesome :)**

**Stratos263 – Oh, he'll get what's coming to him. Though what all did you like and/or dislike about the new chapter?**

**Sr Qrow black – Sorry, but no can do. I already have Naruto's Mystic codes figured out for in the future. And yes, Periwinkle was a name that I thought Arturia would pick to showcase her more girly side, or Lily side I should say ;)**

**Pedro52 – Thanx, and here's mor3eeeee**

**Kazuto Tetsuya – Thanx, that's high praise indeed! Glad to see that you're loving the story, what all have you liked and/or disliked about it thus far?**

**Imperiumjay – Thanx, so what all did you like and/or dislike about the new chapter?**

**Guest, Chapter 4, June 8th – I'm not sure how Lancelot can be OOC, given that we don't really see him in a full length story until Fate/Zero, you could argue about Garden of Avalon or Grand Order but oh well.**

**Anyways, on with the new chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 4: The Rise of Camelot Part IV

-Spring; April, 469 AD-

Naruto woke up with the sun shining through his window, signalling that time had finally cycled around to the morning. "Pretty sure Arturia's up and about now, waiting on breakfast." Getting dressed in his usual attire that she provided him after receiving the armor, Naruto had forgone the steel plate that was part of the gift. He had decided to call it the 'Armor of the Shadow', as he was in a sense standing in the shadow of Merlin at times, or even posing as the magus when he went on a few 'walkabouts'.

The vampire ninja left his room for he could hear the sounds of the people at work, while the soldiers were clashing practice swords. But given their current residence, he had to walk for quite some time to reach where Arturia was currently residing.

After the rebellious lords and nobles were all rounded up, Arturia delivered her judgment as he remembered it…

_"I know why you chose to take up your arms against me. I know that a single battle against foreigners means nothing to some of you. But I cannot understand why you, who were so loyal to my father, Uther. Would say that one who takes up arms against our enemies, is naught but a false leader and a tyrant, when the true tyrant lies to the north and a traitor to his kin? I will not allow your deaths to occur. No. I forgive you…"_

Needless to say, everyone was shocked by her decision to forgive the lords. A few of them took their own lives, rather than live with the shame of having tried to kill a king whose compassion was now known. Their sons or brothers took up in the deceased's place and swore their fealty to Arturia and committed their soldiers and lands to her cause.

Their response and reason behind this were but from the lips of a single lord –

_"To take up arms against a king as merciful and just as thou, is but a folly… nay, a sin against the righteousness of your magnificence."_

As Naruto stepped outside the currently in-construction palace that would become the capital of Arturia's Kingdom, he began to see things coming together, slowly but surely. He made several suggestions that were taken into account with the capital's construction. Out in the distance, he could see the perimeter walls being set down that would house a contingent of soldiers with guard rotations set up. The wall would stand at least six stories tall with the top of it constructed to allow soldiers to walk atop it, as to ensure that they could fire arrows from the high vantage point.

The name that had been chosen for this place was an old Welsh term, one that idealised the vision that Arturia had for the country; a place of Idelic happiness, _Camelot._

It was in a similar manner in which Konoha had its walls, combined with the ones he had seen from several forts in the country, blending the two together in a nice touch that would have the benefits to have a good offense and strong defense against sieges.

Naruto crossed by the training grounds where he saw Gawain and his younger siblings: the young boy Gaheris and the girl Gareth.

Gaheris was a young man of perhaps fifteen with platinum blonde hair not unlike that of the boy's elusive mother with soft features that were somehow a feminine mirror to Gawain. He was probably 5'7" with his hair cut into a windswept bob that straddled the line between male and female although the small smile on his lips was undeniably boyish in nature, shining through his topaz colored eyes. He wore a set of form-fitting training armor of sturdy workmanship, single bands of steel plate as opposed to a large breastplate like Gawain. He teamed this armor with a cobalt blue muffler that covered his neck and left spaulder, though tucked into the back of the cuirass to prevent it being tugged at.

Clutched in his left hand was an unusual weapon for a knight, a silver partisan nearing two meters in length with a cobalt grip and tassel just beneath the spearhead. He teamed it with a cross between a coffin and kite shield of matching cobalt bearing the sigil of the cross in silver.

Gareth was unrecognizable as a girl save for her face due to the heavy armor that she currently wore. She had happy and girlish features characterized by a broad smile and blonde hair of a shade like Arturia poking over her forehead and framing her green eyes. Her cheeks were dimpled with rosy circles at their epicentre as if she was always blushing. Her entire head was clad in a Coventry Sallet helm with a gated visor currently pushed up to expose her face. For her upper body, she wore immensely thick iron and gold plate armor with pronounced shoulder plates in an attempt to hide her gender.

Since this was a sparring session, the girl was wearing a lightly armoured kilt like a Scottish warrior to aid in mobility, an odd juxtaposition given her heavy armor. Unlike either of her brothers', Gareth wielded a longsword as opposed to the standard European broadsword that Naruto had learned was common amongst knights. The heavy armour seemed to be a theme as attached to her left forearm was an immensely sizeable wankle shield with the image linked wings in golden geometric shapes.

"Come on, Gareth!" Gawain cheerfully exclaimed to his sibling, egging her on in the training, "I'm working my arse off to get you to see that move!"

"I'm seeing it, but you're not making it easy." Gareth protested.

Gawain shook his head, "What? You thought I would make it easy for you?" He had been trying to teach Gareth how to rebound a shield bash from a charging enemy, while he was instructing Gaheris… "Brother!" He glanced over briefly to see that his older sibling was giving him some advice, "Your footwork needs to be better. You won't be able to impale someone fully and still keep your foundation stable."

Unlike the other knights of the inner circle, Gaheris chose to use the partisan instead of the sword. An unorthodox choice, but one Naruto liked in the boy. It would set him apart from the others as being unique in that regard.

Gaheris shook his head since what he was going up against were training dummies of straw and cloth, "Practice against these things isn't the best way for me to get my footwork up to a higher standard." He protested.

Gawain broke from the shield training for a few minutes before he turned to his brother, "Well right now that's all we have to train with." He explained, "Our forces are diverting resources and coin to building the capital and arming the soldiers. Like your weapons and armor for example." Gesturing to the both of them to make his point.

Both siblings' expressions were shifting to that of conceding as they nodded their heads slowly before they heard Naruto, "Morning guys!" He waved back to them with a megawatt smile that he always wore to appear friendly.

Gawain gave a friendly wave, albeit a little reluctantly with a small smile as did Gaheris though he didn't smile. Not their fault since their mother was a majorly dark bitch in Naruto's book. Though Gareth was more energetic as she waved to him rapidly, "Good morning, Mr. Naruto!"

"Off to the king's breakfast, I take it?" Gawain asked. He found out not long after their victory over the rebels that Naruto cooked food that was very… very high in terms of quality compared to the other food that they were accustomed to eating. All the herbs, spices and seasonings that he requested that be ordered in shipments for usage were not going to waste if what he saw on his aunt's face was correct: pure joy.

He also learned when the other inner circle members were about to ask Naruto to cook for them as well, that prompted Arturia to immediately get up and pull Naruto away behind her as if someone just asked for her precious stuffed doll and dared anyone to ask anything else.

Truth be told, Gawain had never seen the value of food tasting good, only the amount was substantial. You were trying to fill your belly, so quantity mattered over quality in his mind.

_"No one steals my personal chef away!"_

Oh, how he somewhat pitied Naruto…

Naruto chuckled as he nodded, "Yeah. The dragon is a glutton as you know it."

"Don't let the king hear you say that out loud…" Gawain silently said to himself before Naruto left them back to their training.

Naruto continued to make his way over to where he and Arturia had breakfast since they arrived here.

They decided upon making the capital near the center of Britain due to multiple factors –

1) The location provided easy access to all corners of the island from the near center of Britain itself.

2) The land they were settling things down was fertile and had several rivers that ran nearby, or even through the capital for fishing.

3) To the west was a small mountain range where they had natural barriers to keep their enemies from attacking them properly. To the north was a wide river that would've needed a bridge to cross it fully and was currently being constructed. To the east was a wide-open plain with some rocks scattered about leaving it open for viewing to incoming armies that would dare to attack them. And finally, to the south were roads that lead directly to the lands and homesteads that were loyal to Arturia

Overall, the factors were in their favor.

"Naruto, I was wondering when you would arrive." The ninja heard Arturia addressing him as Periwinkle sat next to her. The lion cub that used to sit upon her head and sleep, later grew to be as large as a great dane, with a small mane now cropping up. Despite how large the exotic cat got, he never showed any hostility towards Arturia, himself or even the other inner circle members. He chalked it up to Periwinkle being ripped away from his mother very early on, probably not long after his birth and imprinted on Arturia as his 'mother'. Or maybe the term 'Alpha' suited their relationship better?

"I saw Gawain and his siblings on the way over here and gave them a quick hi and all that."

_That was good,_ she thought to herself. Gaheris was more like his older brother when it came to the perceptions of what people were, although Gareth was a far more cheerful individual than both her brothers. When they were told that Naruto was a vampire, well… it could've been better… but at least Gawain was coming around to it, or at least she believed so.

"Well then, shall we?" Arturia asked as she turned around to head to their little building where he cooked for them and dined in.

Naruto threw her a thumbs up, "Lets."

* * *

-The King's Private Dining Hall-

Naruto had decided to make some blueberry pancakes this time around, to shake breakfast up a bit, with Periwinkle eating away at a cow's flank that had been brought in for the little terror from a butcher shop.

Arturia was overlooking the construction plans for the capital in the meantime, seeing everything that was being built that Naruto suggested alongside the wall structure and the 'indoor plumbing' that he said was absolutely necessary and that she'd 'be blown away by it', "Naruto." she said, not looking up from the architect's plans.

"Yes, my king?" The ninja perked up over his work.

She pulled up the schematics of the plumbing system that he had given to the construction foreman and herself, "I've been looking over the designs for the indoor plumbing system and its… very intricate." Indeed, it was. The system would have flowing water in and out of the castle, along with some system that would have hot & cold running water if she read it correctly, "Just how did you come by these plans?"

Naruto turned around as he was wearing an apron covered with water, flour and blueberry refuse as he finished up cleaning the dishes as best he could with what he had on hand, "I know a few people in Rome that can get their hands on some stuff, nothing illegal of course unless I can pay extra for it. But I felt that indoor plumbing was something we needed, trust me. Once you have it, you won't want to part with it." He shivered at the last century's worth of memories of having been forced to make do without it. Even if the plumbing systems of this time paled in comparison to those from Konoha; it'd be a good starting point to make it more widely available across the lands.

Before he met Altrouge, he merely wandered from place to place in Europa when Zelretch brought him over from the Americas as the multiversal Apostle called them, until he entered Rome. It was a stunning city that was as developed as it was massive but lacked a natural beauty that Konoha had in spades. However, he did see that they were trying to advance their developments on the city's infrastructure. He met a few shady people that could get a hold of certain things for the right price, although his Mystic Eyes of Enchantment brought that little obstacle low.

Arturia merely raised a brow at that, "Hmm… hot and cold running water. Private privy's and basins?" Well, she certainly was impressed by it though, "I'm very interested in how it all comes together. But it's all so exciting at the same time."

Naruto chuckled at the way she was acting; like a kid ready to see what the big surprise was, "Building things like this often is. When you create something like this city, you stand back to look at it when it's all finished. When you've passed things onto the next generation, you're able to say _'Yeah, I built this amazing place'_." Konoha was a place just like that. Despite what was destroyed in battles, everything was built back up, better than before to endure and pass onto the next generation to better the world. If Naruto could capture even a tenth of that raw innovation then he would be happy.

There were more suggestions that he had put forth that would be part of the construction: a military academy that would go on to train the soldiers and knights of tomorrow. A city guard building where they would congregate and assemble to help enforce the laws. Barracks for the soldiers to rest and relax after a hard day's work. Training grounds for those who needed to refine their skills.

A library where the knowledge and history of Britain and other countries would be stored and put on display for them to learn from, in order to better themselves. Though there had been some grumblings from the lords of Arturia's bannermen about 'educating the plebs' but Arturia had done her best to ignore them.

An aviary for bird messengers that would fly to their lands with haste to deliver and receive news. A treasury to finance the city's life as well as aid in trade & commerce when the markets sprung up. A cemetery to bury the dead, be they noble or commoner as no one should be denied a peaceful final rest. A clinic to help those that were ill or in need of medical attention. Public baths to provide for the populace to encourage better hygiene. An orphanage for the children that had no family to care or love them like all should be rightfully so. A park for families to play and enjoy their time together, with their pets and one another. A correctional facility for those that were sentenced to prison with the chance to repent or be given either a life sentencing or beheading.

A memorial would be crafted to commemorate their fallen brothers-in-arms, and past leaders including the previous king Uther with their line going back.

Fertile fields would be made for farmers to plant their crops with an irrigation system set up to provide nourishment to ensure they would make it through the dry times.

And finally, three layers of Bounded Fields would be set up. The first was set up already that encircled the exterior lands of the capital. The second would be set just on the perimeter of the city itself on the walls to warn them of anyone that may have actually sneaked on over if they did not take the main gates that the guards would check thoroughly. The third and final field was set on the edge of what would be the main keep; the fortress that from what the builders claimed would be _'The Shining Silver Palace that could be seen from Rome'._

In the fifteen months that had passed since Lancelot's induction to their number, the purple haired Knight of the Lake had also brought with him a contingent of stonemasons and carpenters to expedite the building process.

Camelot would be the start of something similar with them at the helm.

Naruto's words were a praise to her with her own thoughts on the matter. Camelot would be the shield & sword of Britain that would defend its people and create the future from here on out. She would establish the foundation of what would come to be looked back upon by historians as the beginning of a thriving utopia.

But there was something within those words that clicked in her mind; to remind of her something she had forgotten to ask, "Naruto, please forgive me for not asking this sooner, but there was something I've been meaning to ask you."

Naruto's head tilted to the side in curiosity, "It's alright. I mean, we've been busy with the construction, planning, training, etc. So, it's no biggie. What did you want to know, my king?"

She mulled it around in her head, trying to figure out how to put her question into words that would not insult him, "You've been around many parts of Europa, as well as other parts of the world when we've talked in the past." She began, "Even when you spoke of your homeland, you've seen so many fascinating things." Naruto could feel the climax coming up, "Naruto… just how old are you?"

This was a bit of a sensitive topic for him. Naruto would've tried to play around and say he was just sixteen, but this wasn't a question meant for providing humor, "Well, I guess you could say I'm seventeen. But… but I've been seventeen for 88 years." He said with a mirthless tone. Living as long as he did, one would find their very existence questionable, or even as a curse. In truth, it was a curse… but that was only if one didn't find themselves a goal or commitment to something to give it an outlook as a gift.

Zelretch had often spoken of the 'Paradox of Infinite Time', that if a being were given an infinite amount of time to live, then they would inevitably grow bored with life and that all Vampires saught something to stave off that boredom. Be it becoming a genocidal madman or simple knitting.

Becoming Arturia's retainer with the vow he would abide by his code to help her, that's what he had given his life meaning towards.

Arturia, on the other hand, was a little surprised that Naruto had lived for so long as he was before they met, but another question formed in her mind, "You were bitten almost a century ago? How did that happen? Was it in your homeland?" She was anxious for answers; however, she didn't want to overstep her bounds to impede into his personal history. But it seemed she already did, judging from the saddened look on his face, "Oh… oh, I have overstepped my bounds, forgive—"

"No, it's alright." Naruto quickly stopping her, "It's not a subject I like to talk about with people." Naruto took the apron off as he hung it on the hanger, while he pulled up a chair to take a seat, "I was… betrayed by someone. Someone that I thought I could trust. But I was wrong…" He answered before elaborating on what he did, "I wandered half the world aimlessly with no goal in my life. My dream was robbed & crushed before me in an instant I was forced to 'leave'. The battle we were in, so much hinged on it, but I was betrayed in the end. I can never go back there." He looked to Arturia who was utterly shocked by his words, eyes widened and her mouth slightly agape, "And up until I met you, I had nothing or no one to dedicate myself to."

Naruto saw that he needed to steer things back to being positive, "Hey, what's with that look? I mean, I'm alright now. I've accepted things as they are." He put on a false smile as he closed his eyes, "There's no need to worry about me." So focused was he on putting up a brave front for his King did he not notice the moisture building in the corner of his own eyes.

* * *

The only thought that ran through Arturia's mind was but one question: Why?

Why would someone betray Naruto of all people? Just how depraved and monstrous could they be!? To betray a person as kind and thoughtful as he… they could be nothing more than a lowly beast!

She clenched her fist in anger at the thought of this leading to his forced transformation into a vampire. How dare they…

Her anger turned to sadness as she saw what Naruto was unknowingly doing… he was crying. Despite how he smiled to ease her emotions, despite having downplayed his pain… Naruto was still hurting from this betrayal for almost a century, and now it seemed that Arturia's question had brought it all up to the surface. This wound upon his heart, inflicted by one that he held close had festered beneath the sands of time. So much that the very mention of it was enough to bring him to tears.

"Naruto… you're crying." She stated as her look of shock turned to worry.

Naruto opened his eyes to see that she was right indeed, "Oh… hey… why am I crying? I mean, I've already accepted things as they are." He started to choke back his tears as he wiped them away. Yet still, the tears continued to drop, "I can never go back home. All the people I met over the years are long dead, and I know things are different now… but…" Then the dam burst open. Self-loathing reared its ugly head from the deep pit of his stomach, chiding him for forgetting while simultaneously damning him for remembering.

His fist clenched and unclenched without his consent, was he truly this pathetic that loathsome memories would bring him to cry!? He distinctly heard the sound of Arturia rising to her feet, likely to slap him for being so childish. He didn't deserve such grace or salvation. He had failed, and he would never forgive himself for it!

He began to sob quietly as he buried his face into his hands to hide his sadness from Arturia, not wanting her to see this.

Next thing he knew, was the sound of a chair scraping across the floor and shuffling of boots towards him. Arturia wrapped her arms around him as she stood up to ease his sadness. She pulled him close as she felt the tears wet her dress but chose to ignore it in favor of providing comfort. She was so much shorter than him, making the sight comical in a way.

"My k-king?"

"What kind of king am I, if I can not help console a single man?" Her reply was earnest, wise and level but throbbing with an unsaid compassion.

She let Naruto cry and let it all out, all the while silently contemplating how she could try to help make this right.

It seemed as if even Periwinkle felt the sadness and moved over to the other side of the chair, as he plopped his head against Naruto's lap, giving a small purr with his paws rubbing against his arm to get his attention.

Still held in Arturia's arms, he turned just enough to see the lion giving what could be equated to a feline's frown. Naruto reached out to pet his growing mane as a means to show that he was alright, though Arturia had something to say, "Naruto." She began to draw his attention back to her, "I do not know what happened between you and this person who betrayed you. But I can see that it has stung you to your very core." She looked down to gaze at his crimson eyes that still held tears that were yet shed, "You were convinced that this person was someone that you could rely on."

"That you could fight alongside them with no worry for any fault, they would cause. But they destroyed your faith in them. And that betrayal placed a curse upon you; having lost your homeland, you lost the chance to live a normal, mortal life." In reference to his vampirism that made him no longer able to age, "But also destroyed your dream."

Arturia clasped his hands as she stood on her toes to reach his level and gazed into his eyes as they no longer shed tears, having dried moments ago, "Whatever your dream was, I believe that it was good and pure, just as you are. But with what we are building together, I hope that it will help heal your heart."

For a moment, everything was silent as Naruto stared at Arturia with admiration but also with a new light at the way she talked to him. He knew that she was always concerned for the happiness of others, as it was her duty as the king to ensure that her subjects and retainers would be positive in all situations. She gave comforting words, and inspirational speeches to people that either needed help or were curious as to what her intentions were like with Lancelot a year ago. However, he felt that she treated him in a similar but different manner than the rest of her subjects.

She gave him gifts that were to either aid or protect him. She asked questions like a friend who was trying to get to know him better. She showed concern with how he was as a person, and his own feelings if he ever appeared to be sad. She praised his cooking skill whenever they ate together although that last one, he suspected was because the rest of the food in the country that other chefs prepared sucked in comparison.

Were these the actions of a king? Or more of…? A person who genuinely cared about a close personal friend, or even…?

No… no, he didn't have a chance in hell with her.

Closing his eyes, Naruto took in the warm touch of her gentle hands, feeling the soft skin clasp his own rough hands that had dirtied themselves over the decades with blood, while hers were protected by an inner light that still resembled that light from the day of selection. Arturia was like an angel to his senses; a light that shone in the darkness with ideals brimming with joy & happiness.

Naruto opened his eyes as he saw that she was blushing, and she, in turn, saw him do the same as her. The two of them looked down at their hands holding onto one another for what seemed like hours; neither of them had really given any thought as to what someone would say if they were to walk in on them in this position.

A knock on the door snapped Naruto and Arturia out of their stare, to which they both knew that they needed to revert back to the image of a king and retainer. As it turns out, it was Merlin who had come in, "I do hope that I wasn't interrupting anything going on between you two, was I?" He spoke with a tone of amusement as if he knew what was happening.

The blondes shook their heads to push their blushes down to regain their composure in the magus' presence while Periwinkle went back over to Arturia's side, sensing how Naruto's emotions were more peaceful.

"Have a good breakfast, did we?" He eyed them both up, seeing that something clearly happened between the two of them, judging from their gestures, positions, state of clothes, etc. What it was, he couldn't say… however, he hoped that it wasn't something that would endanger their future.

His clairvoyance had shown him many things. The time when Arturia pulled Caliburn from the stone; her beginning… and then there was her end, with a lance piercing a mirror image of herself with a red & silver sword raised high to strike the fatal blow, and sleeping peacefully from said fatal blow up against an oak tree.

But those visions were now becoming foggy… changing… Where the mirror would have struck her down, the vision was shifting back and forth to a blurry of the two sharing a tender moment with one another… Where she laid her peaceful final rest, it now was shifting back and forth to a blurred image of her holding a blonde-haired infant as she cried tears of joy alongside whom he believed to be was his apprentice.

Was the Greater History of Man diverging?

But these visions were not set in stone. Naruto's insertion into their lives was changing things ever so slowly, but all it would take to keep these dark visions set was careful planning and cunning from Morgan. If she knew when and where to strike… then there would be no turning back…

Merlin did see though, that Naruto was having a positive effect on Arturia. And thus far, there was no worry for either of them; merely the two were connecting with one another to make the future more positive.

He digressed on that issue at the moment as Arturia spoke up, "Merlin, we were just about to finish up."

"Oh really? Good then." Merlin exclaimed, "Because there is a lesson that my young apprentice needs to attend to very soon." He had something special planned today in fact.

Naruto perked up at the way he put his words, "What's the subject today, Pervy Mage?"

_'They're never going to let me live that down will they' _Merlin spoke to himself internally before he elaborated for his student, "Today, you will be learning about Divine Words from the Age of Gods. This will be something you will have as an ace up your sleeve against the mage's of today and going forward." And it would be his ace against Morgan as well should he cross paths with her again. But Naruto needed more training before he had a strong chance against her. As he was now, she'd toy with the vampire before delivering whatever torture she wanted onto him, that is until after Morgan most likely satisfied her twisted desire for him, if she still chose to pursue that kink of hers at that point.

Naruto looked to Arturia, seeing that he still needed to clean up the dishes. She sensed his minor apprehension leaving the kitchen as it was, "It's alright, Naruto. You can clean up after your lesson with Merlin."

Arturia knew how diligently Naruto cleaned the dishes whenever he finished cooking, seeing him being pulled away right after just starting, it more than likely worried him that the dishes would be left to smell afoul and become disgusting, "Thank you, my king." The ninja gave a slight bow to the knight-king as he left with Merlin to his quarters.

Arturia glanced around to see that Naruto was about half-way done before he had to leave. She remembered that they needed to hold a war meeting soon to deal with the Gaels. But considering they had a minor presence in Britain, coupled with how her reputation was spreading across the lands with the Gaels believing it best to stay away from her army. Naruto's spies had said that many left the main band to live normal lives like the commoners in farms, forge's and marketers, whittling down their opposition in the long run.

She had ample time to spare considering that it was still rather early in the morning. Arturia clapped her hands together as she prepared herself for the coming task, "Now… where were the extra supplies to wash the dishes?"

Periwinkle could only lay down as he began to snooze off, sensing that this would take a while…

* * *

-Merlin's Workshop-

The magus brought Naruto to his little corner of the capital grounds where he had set up his workshop in an underground section that had been constructed. Although it was Merlin's own magecraft at work that set it all up, along with the small Bounded Field that he had set up just on the edge of his temporary residence, "Now then…" Merlin began a tap on the ground with his staff, as the circular room lit up brightly from the floating orbs emitting light for them to see their work, "… it's time you learned how to speak Divine Words. For little recap, how much do you know of them?"

Naruto had been reading up on the text that Merlin had given him concerning the Age of Gods, as it encompassed not just the bits of history of the era that led to its downfall, but also certain aspects of Magecraft that existed at the time. Divine words were just one part of that, "Well, the book you gave me wasn't too clear on how they functioned, just that it's nearly impossible for people born after the death of Christ to pronounce them."

"Correct." He pulled out a book from his sleeve and tossed it to Naruto, "Now it's time to begin. Turn to page 394. Considering what you've learned already, we can skip a hundred pages or two and get straight into things."

Naruto did as he was instructed, as he flipped through the pages until he found the subject 'Helios'. He arched a brow at name, given that it was the name of the Titan of the Sun from Greece, "Helios?"

"That would be the Divine Word in fact." Merlin readied a little spell just in case things didn't go the way they hoped, "You see, most contemporary Aria are simply used to mould Prana into the correct form for the desired spell to take place. Although just as you said with Divine Words, people of this age are unable to say them at all. Myself included."

Now that was odd to say the least. If people derived of the same bloodline, or from a region where such words were familiar, then they should've been able to at least pass the way it was said down to the next generation. But once again: different world, different rules.

Naruto took the info in as Merlin continued on with the lecture, "However, considering that you're in possession of a Regression to the Age of Gods, you're able to duplicate the ritual." That made sense in his mind. Have the very thing that allowed one to use ancient magecraft, then using it would be of no consequence. "Theoretically speaking at least." he mumbled the last part under his breath.

"So, all I do is use my Prana in my voice, and it'll happen."

"Precisely, however there is something that must be done before that, as it is not an easy feat." Merlin wiggled his fingers to the book Naruto was currently holding. Naruto noticed that the word 'Helios' began to glow white as the word rose from the book along with a duplicate and changed the lettering up a bit, "To your left is how the word is said in the common tongue, whereas the word on the right is the proper way to say it when using the Divine Word." Naruto was glancing back and forth between the two differently spelt words, despite meaning the same thing as Merlin kept on, "You must first come to terms with the meaning behind the word, then vibrate your vocal cords with Prana while speaking it." Next thing Naruto knew, Merlin had waved his hand around the air as Naruto felt that he performed some sort of spell, but what it was he wasn't sure before Merlin elaborated, if but vaguely, "Not to worry. Just a precautionary spell in case things go as I believe they might."

Merlin waved it off as he gestured for Naruto to begin, "Alright, here it goes… Helios!"

And… nothing happened…

Naruto was confused by this, while Merlin placed a hand under his chin as he seemed to expect this result. The ninja arched a brow in confusion however, he continued on nonetheless, "Helios! Helios…!" His face began to twitch with nothing happening, "HELIOS!" He gripped his head in frustration, "Ok, what the hell?! I'm saying it, but nothing's happening!"

"It's just as I thought…" Merlin spoke up as he conjured up a sword out of the air, "…even though you have something that allows you to use magecraft from the Age of Gods, you're unable to properly grasp things. Most likely due to the fact that you were born in the Age of Fairies." Taking a few steps forward, Merlin drew a sword from within his robe and readied it as if he was going to attack Naruto, "So now, we'll have to take some drastic measures to make sure you can nail the Divine Words down quickly."

Naruto had a feeling these so called 'drastic measures' involved bodily harm, "W-Wait Pervy Mage, I mean we don't have t—AGGH!" Before he knew it, Naruto saw the light glint of Merlin's blade before he saw it was going for his throat. He dodged the sword at the last moment before the magus got a good slice in.

That was weird and frightening, "Wha…?"

Merlin showcased the slight drops of blood on the tip of the blade flowing down, "That little precaution I made? A spell to slow down your reaction time. Time to sink or swim my apprentice!" The now off-kilter magus said in excitement as he raised the sword again to cleave him in two. He was using a rather potent version of Reinforcement Magecraft on his already half Incubus body to push him into the genuinely superhuman category.

It was like training with Jiraiya to learn the Summoning Jutsu and got tossed down a ravine.

Naruto ducked the initial horizontal slash, the spring steel blade cutting through the air with a high pitched whine. Naruto tried to jump back to get some distance but found his body sluggish to respond, by the time he had begun the Jump he was forced to bring his arms up to guard against the shaft of Merlin's staff which was swung with the momentum of the initially missed swing. Well, shit… he was well and truly screwed unless he said the word correctly.

Naruto's circuits wired to life, beginning Thought Acceleration to bridge the gap in his senses that Merlin had instigated against him, he had three Memory Partitions at the current time, and he put all of them to work to ready his Magecraft. **"Burning in the night as you would in the day, Roshi!"** Naruto called out, a russet red magic circle phasing into existence in the palm of his now extended palm.

**'Roshi'** was a combination of Formulacraft, Elemental Magecraft and Alchemy that Merlin had helped Naruto develop in their time together to take advantage of Naruto's style of Magecraft. Prana was converted into misshapen ether clumps before becoming transmuted into a semi-liquid composed mostly of granite and quartz. The clump of earth passed through the magic circle before bursting into flames and speeding towards Merlin, effectively has become a ball of molten magma.

Merlin cared not for the burning lifeblood of the planet currently careening towards him at Mach speeds, in fact, he did very little to dodge which confused Naruto greatly. The blonde was about to raise a worry when he saw the orb literally pass through the white-clothed Magus, now wreathed in a haze of light purple Hexagons.

"Flash Air, damn him." Naruto cursed at the Archmagus's use of the basic alchemical skill. He took the time to attempt the Divine Word once again, "Helios!" but still the vibration of his vocal cords must have been wrong for nothing happened. Naruto was without his Kunai and Shuriken, so this fight was to be fought with hand and magecraft, and he was man enough to admit that Merlin had him utterly beat in the latter category.

Merlin was already on the move towards him, the reinforcement glowing from his limbs, he was low to the ground with the pure spring steel sword drawn in for a stab that Naruto ran head first to meet.

Naruto's legs were a blur in his own run to cover the distance, picking up a discarded broom handle to reinforce along the way so that he had at least some weapon. Both entered the only naturally lit section of the Workshop, early morning sun flooding into a far off skylight above them like a small star.

The sword lunged forth like a viper striking for its prey, leaving Merlin's shadow and glinting golden in the light of the sun, hurtling towards Naruto's face with intent to kill. Such a trivial thing would not kill Naruto, but while having that thought, he was able to appreciate the way the light glimmered off of the blade, blinding brilliance and the heat of the sun captured in a fleeting moment.. 'wait a minute.' He thought, understanding dawning on his features. The adrenaline in his body spiked up as the Prana began to build up much more than before in his throat. His lips moved to form the word… and judging by Merlin's now shifting expression as he jumped back, the desired effect occurred, **"Ἥλιος!"**

The next thing they knew, a blinding flash of light and heat emerged from his body. Merlin was forced to bring up a barrier to block the light, as he used Flash Air to displace the fire in places where it wouldn't be of harm to anyone.

* * *

A merchant had been selling his produce down in the market of Londinium, "Cabbages! Get your fresh cabbages here!"

What happened next blew the merchant away as fire suddenly appeared behind the man, "MY CABBAGES!"

* * *

Naruto coughed as the smoke dissipated around them. He looked to where his teacher was, and saw that while he erected a barrier…

"To think the tips of my hair where singed, despite having a High Class barrier up to keep it from roasting me to bits." Merlin dusted himself off as he snapped his fingers to undo the spell upon Naruto, "Nevertheless, good job my apprentice. Though I have to mention my annoyance at slagging my sword." he discarded the sword to the ground, reduced to nothing more than a blackened handle attached to molten metal.

Naruto felt the spell wash away, sensing that his reaction speed as back to normal, "So, wait, just what exactly was that spell?" He inquired. From what he could tell, it was similar to a chakra flare when he used Kurama's power before he learned to fully control it.

Merlin cleared his throat to explain a bit, "To put it in simple terms: you now have your own version of little Arturia's Mana Burst, but instead of being pure Mana manifesting as searing energy, it took the form of flames that burns whatever it touches along with blinding your enemy."

In short, Naruto now realized he had a hidden move to get him out of sticky situations, bar the Flying Raijin, "Cool." He hummed in satisfaction as he wondered just what situations would call for it.

All the while Naruto pondered the possibilities, Merlin thought back to a few recent visions that he saw, "Dark have my dreams been of late…" He murmured to himself with Naruto unaware of his words. The sight of their king… blackened… and pointing her tainted sword to the throat of his apprentice whom held tear filled eyes…

Merlin was about to take the next step with another Divine Word, namely 'Þórr', in order to have him use a lightning based Divine Word. Something Merlin suspected that he may have a good affinity for along with one for Wind, however he felt a presence cross his Bounded Field, "It seems we have a guest." He tapped his staff to open the door as the clanking of armored boots resounded through the room to reveal it was Gareth.

"Mr. Naruto, Merlin." She began, "The king has requested that the both of you attend a war meeting."

Naruto raised a brow at that, "So who does she want to deal with this time?"

"The Gaels on the river Bassas." Gareth said, "Given that they have a rather minor presence, the king wishes that they be dealt with sooner, rather than later."

The Gaels were currently being led by Baron Finn of the Uaithni Cliach, and while they didn't cause as much trouble as the Saxons or barbarians, they nonetheless attacked settlements for their resources. And if they could be defeated quickly with superior numbers, all the better.

"Put the rat down before it breeds." Naruto murmured to himself, "Well, alrighty then. Let's head on out then, don't want to keep her waiting" Arturia had a bit of a passive aggressive side to her personality when she was kept waiting, although that was mostly shown whenever he was late to cook for them.

Man did she give him the cold shoulder…

The three of them left Merlin's workshop as they made their way to the war council building, all the while Gareth wondered something, "Say, Mr. Naruto…"

The ninja turned his head to look at the young knight, "What's up, Gareth?"

"I've been wondering… if you're a skilled magus, then is it possible for us to win a battle without fighting?" Gareth asked in curiosity. In her mind, if a mage were to enter battle, then wouldn't the battle be won quickly with his magecraft?

Naruto put a hand to his chin in thought, "Hmm… you know… that's actually a pretty good question." Thoughts swirled in his mind to how such a thing could be accomplished with their forces and his magecraft. Suddenly, he got something out of that question. Turning to Gareth, he gave a smile only a fox could make with a cunning idea that sprouted from within, "Gareth, you just gave me an idea for the battle."

The young girl raised a brow in curiosity, "I did?" While she didn't intend for her question to be taken seriously as for creating a strategy, she nonetheless felt a bit of praise in Naruto's words.

"Yup." Naruto confirmed, "And I doubt the king will object to it." Nope. She certainly would not, having learned the very thing that would make it possible.

They were unaware of the black crow perched up atop a tree branch gazing down on them…

* * *

-War Council Building-

Arturia looked over the map of the region where the river Bassas was located at, as she tried to derive a strategy to use against the Gaels. The most likely thing they could do was a repeat of their first battle against the Saxons, although given how word spread of their defeat there, it was possible that they would take measures to prevent that from happening to them.

Her brother Kay stood on her left, all the while he kept giving a glance back to the entrance, wondering if Ector would be able to make it before the rest of the inner circle arrived, "Father's getting a little slow in his age."

Arturia perked up as she turned to face her foster brother, "That he is." She knew that Ector was usually the first one here, but lately… he had been the second or third to arrive, "Are you worried for father?"

All Kay could do was scratch the back of his head, as the uncomfortable truth made its way from his lips, "Well, he's not getting any younger. That's for certain." He furrowed his brows, "And he's still running on the battlefield into the thick of things, it's just…"

The unspoken reality of what could occur on the battlefield made its way into their thoughts…

Arturia placed a hand on her brother's shoulder to try and comfort him, "I understand your concerns, and I share them." A solemn look crossed her face, "But if I were to remove him from the field of battle… it would be an absolute insult to his honor as a knight." A knight lived and died on the battlefield. To say that they were no longer fit for their duty, was to spit on their honor and earn their ire.

Kay sighed as he conceded to his sister's words, "Yeah, you're right… but I just hope that he doesn't…" Arturia tightened her grip on Kay's arm to show that it would not come to that.

"You know our father as well as I do. He's far too stubborn and strong to be fallen by the foes we have faced before." She smirked, knowing that Ector's experience and skill were what set him apart from them.

Kay chuckled, "He is too stubborn for his own good." Seeing how his sister was in a good mood, he shifted the topic over to something else, "So, how are you and that whiskered mage doing?"

Arturia could only tilt her head in confusion, "I beg your pardon?"

"You know… the two of you have been dining in private for a little over a year now." Kay started, "He's your personal chef, to which after the rest of us invited ourselves after that one dinner, I didn't think you'd let him out of your arms when you pulled him away from us, like a kid holding onto their doll…" He saw Arturia narrowing her eyes playfully of course at him, "Along with how much you listen to him when he offers advice that you take. And how you shower him with gifts, I want you to know something."

"Oh?"

Arturia wasn't sure what he was getting at.

"Father and I approve."

"…what?" Arturia literally had no idea what he was implying by Kay's words.

Kay sighed at this. Though he should've expected things to be like this, given she had more of a mindset like that of a man than a woman, "What I'm saying, is that father and I approve of him. Should the two of you manage to find a way to have…" Kay put a hand to his chin in thought, "…hmm… to have… relations… despite being the king."

Arturia could only blink.

Then she blinked again.

She blinked for a third time before it finally hit her…

"W-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Her face was red as a tomato at this point.

All Kay did was chuckle slightly before he elaborated, "I mean, no one else sees it, but father and I do. I mean, it's pretty clear to the two of us that there's something between you and our resident mage apprentice." He would have said vampire, but I thought that would be detrimental to things.

All Arturia could do was stutter in response, "D…I…y-you… I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT IS YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT!" She quickly turned back to the war table before she spoke again, "You broke my line of thought with that distraction! Now I have to rethink things!" She fought the blush down as much as possible while Kay kept a hand up to his mouth to hide that grin while he laughed quietly.

* * *

Outside, Bedivere, Gawain and Gaheris walked side by side to the war council as they wondered just which of their enemies they would be dealing with. However, Gawain noticed Bedivere looking rather unsure of himself as of late.

Patting Bedivere on the shoulder, Gawain spoke up, "Bedivere. I've noticed as of late that you appeared downtrodden. What ails you, my friend?"

Bedivere turned his head to face Gawain, "Oh, it nothing… I have merely been contemplating my place within our campaign, and by the king's side…" He saw that Gawain and Gaheris appeared confused; seeing their confusion, Bedivere elaborated, "I'm sorry. I know that I'm not as skilled as the two of you, nor am I talented in the arcane. I can only wonder why the king chose me to stand alongside him with everyone else in the inner circle."

Ah, so he doubted his position within the inner circle. Gawain felt that he needed to say something on the matter, "Bedivere, no one doubts your ability in battle. We have emerged victorious against all our enemies and the people are rejoicing in thanks to all of us; our efforts… your efforts are acknowledged and appreciated." Gawain explained.

"You say that you are not as skilled as the rest of us knights, nor are do you have potential in the arcane arts. Both are true, but you possess something that perhaps is even greater than the rest of us hold."

"What is it?"

"Unwavering conviction and dedication to the king. But also, humility unlike any other." Gawain stated plainly and fully. Bedivere was an old friend to Arturia and knew her secret. He would take it with him to his grave; but Bedivere also possessed something far greater than the rest of them: humility.

That was in Gawain's opinion, what made Bedivere a spectacular knight unto their king.

And Arturia acknowledged that every time they spoke to one another.

Bedivere patted Gawain on the shoulder in thanks, "Thank you. I wasn't sure what it was the king saw in me before, but your words bring comfort in knowing the truth."

Gawain smiled in satisfaction. He need not worry for his brother-in-arms' morale in the future. As they neared the war council building, they prepared themselves for whatever odd plan their king and vampire concocted together…

* * *

-Nighttime; Fortress Vortigern-

Morgan le Fay was a woman who always got what she wanted in the end. Whether it would take ten years or ten minutes, her plans worked out in the end. And if by some small chance they failed, she always had an escape planned out.

The blackened Fae sister of Arturia had made an offer to Vortigern: she would create powerful soldiers to overthrow her sister and she would have said sibling along with Merlin's apprentice, Naruto she believed his name was after some spying through her familiars for her own experiments.

She was heading down into the basement where Vortigern kept the White Dragon chained up and mad. With a dagger in hand, she opened the door to see the beast that Merlin said represented the foreigners that dared to set foot on her isles. However, she saw the dragon as the opposite of her sister; a tool that she could use to craft her downfall, with Vortigern as a test subject, considering he had already drank the creatures blood to gain its attributes, "Now, my sweet child… why don't you stay still, and let me cut into you."

The dragon turned its muzzled head to see the Fae approach it with a dagger. Now… normally a regular dagger would be unable to pierce the hide of a supreme phantasmal species such as dragons and wyverns, however… this was not a regular dagger…

Morgan carried with her that held a sickly-looking dagger that was pitch black with serrated edges, along with blood red lines running along the edge and Fae symbols on the flattened sides. It was not a dagger made from mortal hands.

The dragon struggled to get the muzzle off, however, a black mist emerged from Morgan's free hand as it held the dragon down to prevent it from moving too much for the Fae to extract what she needed, "If you struggle, then this will certainly hurt you without doubt. So please, do calm down. Or don't either way, I still get your blood." The mist had taken hold as Morgan stepped closer to the dragon's hide. She caressed the skin all the while seeing the endless possibilities with the creature that Vortigern wasted away.

Conjuring up a large glass jar the size of her own head, Morgan drove the dagger into the dragon's skin, tearing open a small wound causing the dragon to screech in pain from the Fae artifact piercing its flesh. The dagger's properties made the dragon feel as if it were on fire; whereas its element was lighting & water, the opposite of the fire & wind elements that the Red Dragon wielded.

Morgan held the glass jar up to the wound as the White Dragon's blood poured into the jar rapidly before she pulled it away. Morgan held the jar as the mist pulled it back to her workshop, as she pulled the dagger out of the dragon's hide that began to heal.

The Fae smirked knowing that she had one piece to craft her sister's downfall, all she needed were two more to create it; time to mold it, and then set it loose to bring about Arturia's end.

"Now… I just need to contact that crow, Blackmore." Speaking aloud to herself.

* * *

-Gael Encampment Several Days Later; On the River Bassas-

"Ok, this should be the last of 'em." Naruto said to himself. He tossed a collection of swords and clubs onto the giant pile he amassed in the open field away from the encampment. Gareth really did give him a bright idea that Arturia approved of after he explained it to her, as did the rest of the inner circle.

A battle won with no bloodshed.

Naruto could see that dawn was approaching, coupled with the Gaels beginning to stir from their sleep, he leapt atop the pile of weapons, armaments and tools that would've given them combat capabilities as he took a seat to wait for the inevitable.

The plan was that Naruto would sneak into the Gaels encampment, go through every tent, hut and building they had, swipe everything they could to fight against the army, wait for dawn to come along with the Gaels waking up to see they were missing and then surprise the bastards with his new Divine Word.

The flash of light would be the signal for their cavalry to surround them. The river was too deep, to0 wide and considering how fast the water was moving, they'd likely get swept up in the current and be unable to swim out. The Gaels would have zero chance to escape.

"Now to play the waiting game…" He glanced over his shoulder to see Arturia with the cavalry at the ready for the signal, "…and hope that these idiots see reason."

As the Gaels began to wake from their sleep, Naruto readied himself as he recalled the word from when he managed to pronounce it properly before Merlin took his head off.

He could hear the various confusion and frustration in the voices as they scrambled to find their armaments.

_"Where did my sword go?!"_ one disgruntled Gael called in a thick blast of quickly spoken gaelic to his fellow warriors who were equally startled at their lack of weaponry.

"Fuck your sword! Where's my goddamned axe!"

"We have no armor or helms!"

Naruto could only shake his head as they began to argue with one another until he saw their leader, Baron Finn step out of his hut, "ENOUGH!" He saw Naruto sitting atop the pile he made as he pointed directly at him, "It's obvious that damned fool is responsible for our missing weapons and such." Finn stomped his way to the pile. However before he could grab anything, Naruto spoke loud and clear for all to hear, "Before you try to take what I just claimed in the night, I have an offer from King Arthur to you, Baron Finn: Yield to his majesty and the just punishments you and your men will be dealt out appropriately. There's no need for bloodshed today."

Naruto had hoped that this little display would be enough to sway the Baron, but alas… sometimes people are too stupid to realize they've been outmaneuvered before they even knew it…

"Well, despite how _generous_…" Finn drooled out sarcastically, "… that offer is, but I'm afraid I see only one of you in front of us, while you're sitting on top of our weapons. Whereas there are thousands of my men, and no army of King Arthur in sight." Several Gaels had joined alongside the Baron with a confident smirk on their faces, believing that they had him beat, "So pray tell, what's to stop us from picking up our weapons and killing you?"

Naruto tilted his head side to side as he playfully went along with things, "You make good points, but I have but one thing to say to your words." He slowly stood up as he readied himself.

Baron Finn chuckled without humor as the situation was beginning to grate on his nerves, "And that would be?"

Naruto gave a toothy grin as he spoke, "**Ἥλιος**!"

The Divine Word spoke had taken effect as the fire engulfed the massive pile of armaments, melting them down as the light blinded the Gaels, while signaling Arturia with the incoming charge. They rode with swords and spears raised up in a 'U' shaped formation to block the Gaels from having any chance to retreat, all the while knowing that this battle would and should end without bloodshed.

Baron Finn was blinded for a moment by the now revealed mage's magic, but before he could gather any rage to respond in kind, his vision cleared with the sight of King Arthur and their cavalry charging towards them, ready to end their lives. Seeing as how he first rejected the offer; Finn could do only one thing, "WE SURRENDER! WE YIELD TO KING ARTHUR!" Finn held his hands high above his head, pleading for his life and the lives of his men, hoping that the offer was still up on the table.

Arturia heard his words, along with the gesture, seeing how things would go now she signaled for the other inner circle knights to halt their advance as they encircled the Gaels, while Naruto leapt off the smoldering pile of metal and leather beside her. Arturia pulled up in front of the Baron seeing that he was now kneeling before her, "King Arthur, I-I beg of you, please. Your generous offer, is it still something available to us? I only plead for the lives of my men and myself to avoid pointless bloodshed."

Arturia saw that the Gaels now looked to Naruto and herself in fear of what her response would be, "My offer is still for you to take. These are my terms for your surrender…"

* * *

-Several Days Later; In-construction Camelot; the King's Private Dining Hall-

The punishments and offers were carried out just as before with the Saxons after their first battle. Lesser offenders were handed supplies to set out on their way on their own or offered positions as workers in equipping her army. Greater offenders were sentenced to death by beheading with their bodies burned and officers buried. As for Baron Finn; being their leader, the man was taken into custody and sentenced to several years in prison in Londinium before he would be released back into the populace. The man did at least surrender on the behalf of their lives, and Arturia could respect that.

The resources they had available were handed over as boons for Arturia's mercy and generosity, to help bolster their forces. Nevertheless, the Gaels would no longer be a problem to them, having completely shut down that front on the campaign.

Now though it was lunch time as he prepared to fire up his new dish today for him and Arturia: roasted pork, cheese mashed potatoes and salted green beans.

Arturia opened the door with Periwinkle incoming beside her, all the while he nuzzled up against her leg prompting Arturia to make her way over to the cabinet where the lion's meat was kept at, "Let's see… Ah! Here we go." She pulled out a piece of cow's leg before closed the cabinet up and made her way over to the not in use fireplace; the only section large enough to accommodate Periwinkle's ever-growing size and appetite, "Here you go, Perinwikle. Enjoy." The lion eagerly dug into the cow leg to his heart's content.

"I doubt he'll ever get tired of that." Naruto spoke over his shoulder all the while preparing their lunch. Arturia recalled her brother's words from several days ago about their… 'relationship'…

"Naruto…" Arturia inquired.

The ninja glanced back to Arturia as kept going with their lunch, "Yes, my king?"

"Why did you choose to follow me on that day, when I drew forth Caliburn from the stone?" Even though she had asked that when they began to plan out their campaign, Kay's words could only make her wonder more so than before.

Whether or not Naruto could tell the difference between this time and the previous one, he wasn't sure, but he responded like he did the last, "It's like I said before on that day. I follow you, because I believe in your dream and the ideals you strive for. They resemble mine so much, and while I can't do anything to carry them out, I can help you do so instead."

Naruto didn't seem to fully understand the way Arturia put it before, and felt that she needed to clarify on the subject, "I mean as in; why me specifically?" She emphasized that word particularly, "Anyone could have held the same ideals and beliefs that I do. You do. Before you rejected it, Caliburn recognized you as one who could become the king."

Ah… so that's what she was getting at. This was what she was trying to understand: not a question of loyalty, but rather a personal question if there was something else behind his reasoning. Naruto placed the utensils down onto a cutting board before he turned to Arturia who was standing close to him as opposed to sitting down in her chair, "Oh, I see." He rubbed the back of his head before a mild blush ran up his cheeks that Arturia briefly caught before Naruto tried to fight it down, "I guess you could say… on that day when you took the sword. You… captivated me." The god rays had shined down upon her like an angel descending from heaven, "I saw… I saw someone that I could follow through and through no matter what she did. I saw a woman who had a beautiful dream. I saw… I saw someone that I… that I could create a bond with unlike any other…"

All the king could do was listen to his words, he praised her for being all of what he said. Was Kay truly playing with her on that day, or was he implying a part of the truth? She didn't know what to think. All she could do was admire how loyal Naruto was to her, since the beginning; pledging his loyalty to her not even knowing who she was but just by a sight. He cheeks were alit red, but why she did not know…

"I… I see." Arturia spoke softly before she made her way over to her chair, "Thank you. It helped me understand a bit more."

Naruto could only nod shyly before he returned to his work on their lunch. Kurama piped up over their mental link, _**"Boy, are you stupid."**_

_"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"_

**_"You didn't…? You know what, never mind. You're almost a century old. And you still don't understand things."_**

_"Wait, you're not gonna tell me what I missed in that whole thing?"_

**_"No, I'm not saying a word. I'm just going to wait until you finally see it, and she sees it too, since she too clearly doesn't understand it yet."_**

_"Again, what's that supposed to mean? What're we supposed to see?"_

He could hear Kurama's hand slap against his head, **_"I'll let you know when you finally figure it out, and hopefully she does too, so goodbye on the subject."_**

_"Gee thanks, o' wise and sagely fox."_

* * *

Later that night with lunch, dinner, training and planning all finished up with the last conversations being finished up, as the constructors were heading to bed after a hard days work, Naruto and Arturia returned to their respective buildings close to one another as Naruto was still unable to not stick close to Arturia. He sat atop the roof gazing up at the brightly lit sky, with the stars and nebulas if he recalled correctly painted the night like an artist with vision unlike any other.

All Naruto could do was think over what all had been said briefly with how he viewed Arturia, and wonder if things were even possible between them.

A voice came up over his thoughts "Naruto, is that you up there?" Naruto turned downwards to where he saw Lancelot stripped of his armor and wearing a training tunic, no doubt having held late session for the men and heading back to his quarters.

"Hey, Lancelot. Heading back to your bed for the evening?"

The Knight of the Lake, as he has been come to be known as with bits of his history with a Lake Fae known to the inner circle and a few of the men, nodded in affirmation, "Yes. Why are you up on the roof of your quarters?"

Naruto sighed as he wasn't sure why though, "I guess… maybe… I've just been thinking about some things lately, that's all."

"I see." Lancelot placed a hand under his chin before he spoke again, "If I may, I'd like to ask you something if you have the time to spare that is."

The ninja shrugged, not seeing the harm in it. The night, while something more of his environment, he preferred sleeping in it than during the day, "Sure, I've got plenty of time." Naruto jumped down to the ground in front of Lancelot and dusted himself off, "So, what'd you want to know?"

"Why do you follow the king?" Lancelot began, "You are a vampire. A Dead Apostle. A creature of the night and darkness that feeds on the helpless. Or rather you should yet you don't as I've noticed within the last year. The king should have struck you down upon seeing you, yet the king maintains that you are a retainer and Merlin's apprentice. Not just that, the king listens intently to your advice and strategies in battle. So, I must ask the question, why?"

Well, apparently this was the second time he'd be facing this question within a single day, "Well you see…" Naruto explained all of which he told Arturia on the day they met when she brought him into their inner circle and the recent question of today. Lancelot's expression remained thoughtful as he took everything in, but he also analyzed Naruto's own behaviour and body language, and it told him a great deal more about Naruto along with how he viewed things between himself and Arturia.

"…and that's really all there is to it."

"I see. Thank you, it's something that I've been wondering for a while now, but the answers are… unique, I should say." Lancelot explained.

Naruto nodded, "No problem. Besides, I enjoy it when people talk to me. Other than Arturia, not a lot of people do so, well except for you and the rest of the inner circle." The crickets began to chirp, signalling that it was getting very late, with sleep something they needed, "Well, I think it's best we head to bed and sleep. No telling what we'll be doing tomorrow."

"Agreed. Have a good night, my friend." Lancelot held his hand out for Naruto to take with the ninja responding in kind before he headed inside to get the rest he needed.

Lancelot, on the other hand, saw a great deal in the ninja's words, behaviour and body language: Naruto was in love with Arturia…

The truth of reality, unfortunately, could never allow them to be with one another, "Why is it that fate is often too cruel, to those as kind as he, and those as pure such as she?" Lancelot spoke aloud to himself.

Perhaps there could be a way… maybe they could find a way. And if so… Lancelot could safely say; he would keep their secret.

* * *

-Elsewhere-

Somewhere else in Britain, Morgan le Fay had sent a familiar to speak with Gransurg Blackmore, whom now stood opposite of her.

The man's appearance sat on the fine line between intimidating and ridiculous, appearing to near six feet and one inch in height with a lithe build that almost bordered on skeletal. He lacked a true face, instead bearing a black and white featureless mask with no defined mouth and beady red eyes that evoked those of a raven. An outcropping hooked out from the top of this organic mask over his face like the beak of some bird of prey, all of it covered by long black hair that cascaded to just beneath his shoulder blades. A ragged black and purple tailcoat shaped in the style of raven's feathers clad his form; beneath this, he wore a fluffy white dress shirt that seemed to be made of goose down and matching pants. His hands and feet perplexed Morgan, concealed in gloves and boots of a similar design to his mask.

Most perplexing of all were the two large black wings that sprouted from his tail bone that peaked out from beneath the tails of his coat.

"You contacted me, Fae. So… why should I help you in regards to your request?" Gransurg Blackmore. Number 16 of the Dead Apostle Ancestors, also known as the 'Moon devourer', stood opposite of Morgan who held an amused smirk in front of the vampire. His tone was a mix of aloof disinterest but it hid a fervour for information. Now… one person normally wouldn't do something such as that lest they risk getting killed… however, Morgan was not a normal person. For all Blackmore knew, she likely had something up her sleeve to respond if he decided to try and kill her, and it wouldn't be pleasant.

Morgan could only laugh at the vampire's words, "Well let's see… there are three points that I believe you will have to concede to after I've stated them."

Despite the mask he wore to conceal his face, Morgan could tell he arched a brow in curiosity, "Oh?"

"Despite your distaste for her, I am aware that you know Crimson Moon created Altrouge Brunestud, you would know well enough how the process can be replicated." Morgan held up a single finger before she continued, "One: You follow Brunestud even in death." A second finger rose up, "Two: You dislike Atrouge, bordering on hated to the point where you'd try to kill her despite how much power she has over you and Merem." And the third finger rose up, "And three: If you help me, it will make Naruto miserable to no end when it all comes together as everything, he has built with my sister comes crumbling down in flames and misery."

She knew well enough about Naruto now. He was Number 7 of the Dead Apostle Ancestors, as he was sired by Brunestud just like Merem & Blackmore, but unlike those two he hated the three of them having dug up enough info on the ninja, despite how limited it was. And given how Dead Apostles were unable to have children in the traditional way, along with Altrouge being created for the sole purpose of being a vessel for the Crimson Moon but led to the possibility of such a thing occurring… Well, safe to say she had an avenue to craft her weapon…

Blackmore seemed to give in as he chuckled, "Hehehe… so it's true. You don't even need magics to get people to do what you want. Your words are like sweet nectar to the ears." Blackmore turned around to leave their secret rendezvous, "I will acquire for you the secrets of Altrouge's creation and birth. Have no fear. Whatever it is you're planning…" He turned around to where Morgan could just imagine, that without that mask... Blackmore was sending her a sickening smile that took pleasure in the pain she would bring, "…so long as it brings Uzumaki misery, I would gladly help you."

Morgan gave a dark smirk in response, "Oh, I plan on it. You can rest assured on that count." Blackmore disappeared with the blackened Fae chalking up another component to her weapon's creation.

Slowly but surely… it was all coming together…

With this business concluded, Morgan vanished into her trademark black mist back to the bowels of Fortress Vortigern, where her 'contributions' were kept chained up. The viscous howls and screams permeated the air, as the Fae walked past the cells holding the sources back: Ghouls. Morgan had Vortigern hand over his most feeble and weak soldiers to her, as she used her blackening magics and blood of vampires merge to create these rabid animals. Their eyes were black as the night, teeth filed to fangs, nails sharp as claws, and skin as pale as the moon.

They were effectively fodder to throw at her sister's army when it finally came to it. She knew Arturia would want to deal with the lesser threats before turning her attention north to get rid of Vortigern. In which she would focus her full attention in freeing the north of the pitiful tyrant, "I wonder how things will go, once you arrive little sister?" Morgan was now facing a cell where a 7' tall, headless corpse of a knight laid on a table with vines and grass surrounding it. She entered the cell as she strode over to a nearby shelf where the head laid on its side. Morgan took the head as she used her magics to reattach it to the corpse with the vines reaching out to grasp it.

Seconds later, the head's eyes shot open with the knight gasping for air, and Morgan caressing it, "Shh... there, there... my Green Knight. You have a very important role in time. And I plan on you fulfilling it, even if you're just a disposable pawn in the end." The now dubbed, 'Green Knight' merely nodded wordlessly like an obedient dog to its master, all the while the howls of the chained Ghouls continued to rage through the night.

* * *

_Codex Apostletos_

_Taken from the notes of L. Barthomeloi_

_Subject: Gransurg Blackmore_

_Seeing as I have been writing so much about Uzumaki, I feel that it is appropriate to speak of the Apostle with whom he shares a blood feud, the 'Moon Devourer' and #16 amongst the Ancestors._

_Born in what would one day become Austria, Blackmore was a relatively average Magus for his time, though still likely superior to the majority of most modern day first rate Magi. His study of Magecraft focused primarily on the subject of familiar Magecraft relating to birds and the like. Familiar Magecraft has rather fallen out of favor in the last 2000 years with only parasitic old worms like Zolgen Makiri still besotted by it but something about the Magecraft must have been special due to attracting the interest of Brunestud of the Crimson Moon._

_He was a staunch follower of Brunestud after he became an Apostle and even follows his teachings in death, though this has caused quite a bit of friction between him and the other Ancestors, none more so than Uzumaki. Other that the Incident occurring in 1666, Blackmore and Uzumaki have been reported clashing no less than 73 confirmed times over the years with likely more that went unobserved. A conservative thought amongst the Aristocracy believe that the animosity between the two is linked to Brunestud, I disagree. I believe that Blackmore had something to do with the [REDACTED] of [REDACTED] and said connection is a sore spot for [REDACTED] and by proxy for Uzumaki._

_The one time I saw this mentioned was during my first encounter with Uzumaki some fifteen years ago in the town of Aylesbury, England. But during that time we all had more important matters on our minds..._

* * *

**And done!**

**Not as long as the previous chapter, but this chapter's purpose was meant to progress the relationship between Naruto & Arturia along with some other bits of character development of the others, introducing new characters, etc. Overall, just progression of the characters and less battle scenes.**

**Now some of you will protest and say that things seemed forced but let me point this out to you guys.**

**It's been over a year since the last chapter.**

**That's right, it's been 15 months since Lancelot joined and I did say that there would be a timeskip between this chapter and the last one.**

**Also, once again, I've posted up a NarutoxFate challenge up on my profile. A vast majority of the details are already in the challenge so be sure to read through it. If you want to take it up, or know someone that will want to write it, PM me, or leave a review. We can discuss other details if you PM me. Honestly, I'd love to see the challenge come to life as it was an idea that I had along with this one, but chose to pursue this one instead, not because it was better, but because I wanted to do so.**

**As for the petitions, come guys, be supportive and help out. I'd like to know who all would like to help construct them. Having these series: Fate/Camelot & Fate/stay night: Fate anime series' (not anime film trilogies like Heaven's Feel) done by Ufotable would be amazing with their god tier animation and complete things with the main timeline of the Fate franchise.**

**The next chapter will have another timeskip with a ****roller coaster**** of events planned out, and some thing that I'm sure you all have been ****eagerly**** awaiting for. Swords, Giants, Ghouls, Faeries, oh my... I think everyone will enjoy especially in the end ;)**

**Anyways, continue to read, review, favorite and follow this story, as well as the others on my profile.**

**And please, when you review, let me know what you guys liked and/or disliked about the new chapter, otherwise I can't better myself when it comes to writing future content.**

**Until next time ;)**


	6. Chapter 5: The Rise of Camelot Part V

**Another chapter! Yeah! Let's see if we can push the review count to 200 this time!**

**Pretty please…?**

**I'm beginning to wonder if anyone even reads through my AN's… I mean really… no one seems to respond to them or even strike up a conversation with me about the subjects brought up… Well except for one person to which I'm glad for. Another issue is that some of you raise issues and questions that would be answered if you simply chose to read the AN at the end.**

**Well, anyways, petitions are still gonna happen, but I need help with putting them together.**

**There was something that I was confused on, being the Age of Fairies within the TYPE-MOON lore. It says that it happened, but never when, only that it's already over. Well, I figured that the Arthurian Legend era was when that occurred, due to how Fae's were more prominent within this time period given that Vivian gifted Arturia with Excalibur & Avalon, Lancelot was raised in his early years by a Fae, and Morgan herself is a Fae, or at least of Fae heritage that she's embraced to obtain more power.**

**Now, to the reviewers that I was unable to get around to, or unable to respond via PM –**

**Messiah of authors**** – It is a trope that's been used quite often, but it can be a good trope if written well enough unlike in the canon...**

**Anyways, as for Morgan, well... I'll just say this... she is not one to be underestimated, nor is she stupid but I think everyone will be in for a surprise with one another.**

**Batthan the Dark Knight**** – Yup, Gransurg Blackmore has joined things, if temporarily though for his own amusement.**

**MIinoka**** – Answers to both questions: Well, I'm afraid I can't answer either of them. All I can say is that you must continued reading on, but the story will go through the events of Zero and afterwards.**

**DepressedNinja75**** – Naruto would have to enter Nine-Tails Chakra Mode in order to utilize his Negative Emotion Sensing ability, to which Naruto is unable to do so for the moment, due to the World (Gaia) keeping his power in check since he is considered an alien to the Nasu-verse. Also, Magnet Style, he can't use it because Shukaku is not there with him to teach him properly. He may have the chakra, but he can't access it. Remember that even in canon Naruto had to ask each Tailed Beast to do the technical chakra work when he used their power. The two instances I can think of are asking Son to use Lava Style and Shukaku to use Magnet.**

**Naruto left the world shortly after the sealing of Kaguya, meaning that none of the Tailed Beast consciousness save Yin Kurama remain inside him.**

**Even if Naruto could do both things, Morgan is able to hide her very presence due to her mastery of the Blackening and Dark Arts in Magecraft, she'd be prepared for Naruto's attack on her. Morgan isn't one to be caught off guard. Both systems are have differences and nuances that lead to loopholes... loopholes that Morgan is smart enough to exploit.**

**victorsan12345 – Thank you for taking interest in this story and enjoying it regardless of your complaints. While I understand them, allow me to say this; this is FanFiction. It doesn't have to be completely factual to tell a good story.**

**Def Apathetic – I'm glad that you enjoyed the new chapter and what it brought into things. Naruto's breakdown was something that I felt needed to be done in front of Arturia to help progress their relationship, as well as address all of the pain he had suffered that day when Sasuke betrayed him.**

**Gareth was finally shown to us in Fate/Grand Order in the Camelot singularity, though she was only shown within a flashback scene if I'm correct. I know the general gist of the Camelot storyline in GO, but not on the specifics.**

**With Lancelot, I do have a nice plan for his development as well as a couple other Knights of the Round Table with Naruto in their lives.**

**As for Merlin's visions, well it is true that foreshadowing can ruin things, however this one thing is something Merlin only sees as a possibility, not a certainty due to Naruto's presence in the timeline and Greater History of Man. Nothing is truly set in stone as far as he believes, so his visions could be wrong.**

**DarkMatterPhoenix – You are correct good sir, and the first one to see that Naruto is the only Divine Dead Apostle, making him more akin to that of a True Ancestor of sorts like Arcueid and the Crimson Moon. The closest thing to think of Naruto is "What if Hinako bit Karna?". Naruto's Divinity is… staggering to say the least.**

**insanemaelstrom – Glad to see that you've been enjoying the progressing relationship between Naruto & Arturia :)**

**Jose19 – Then by that logic, they would have to get rid of many of the core people that helped build Camelot. Arturia while being the heir to Britain, she has the blood of the Red Dragon flowing through her veins, like Vortigern does with the White Dragon, making them inhuman and thus subject to "purging as creatures against God." Merlin is half-Incubus and thereby half-demon. And yet, that was common knowledge amongst the Round Table members, yet they value him despite being a "Creature of Darkness".**

**Gawain, Gareth and Gaheris were born from a Dark Fae (Morgan le Fay). Lancelot was raised in his younger years by a Lake Fae in his homeland. Camelot is essentially a melting pot of people that benefits from things that would supposedly be 'damning'. If they were strictly following "Kill anything inhuman for that is against God" then half of the round table would have to kill themselves.**

**Guest; Chapter 5, June 22nd – Asking about Mordred huh? Well, all I can say is this. Keep on reading and you'll be pleasantly surprised by what you see ;)**

**Carlos619 – I'm not sure what it is you're talking about in reference to this chapter… Not only that, it's been 88 years since he was tossed into the Nasuverse and became a Dead Apsotle. That's ample time to change.**

**Stratos263 – Oh yes, they will indeed.**

**Dark Durian – That they are. Naruto hopes that Camelot will become something similar to the Konoha he remembers before the war began. As for what Morgan plans, well… she certainly intends to make things difficult for Arturia, but she full well knows that supporting Vortigern is merely a steppingstone to her own goals.**

**OneWhoCantWrite – Well, the original Arthurian Legend has many iterations, I mean Lancelot wasn't part of the original until much, much later when he was made part of it in the French retellings of King Arthur's story. Basically, the dude is the oldest OC in history, lolz. But TYPE-MOON's Arthurian Legend isn't that different from other retellings and is a bit of an amalgamation. If we wanted to be factually accurate then no one would have steel plate as they are depicted because it wouldn't be invented for another 500 years.**

**To the "Mundane" or Non-Mage World, Arthurian Legend is just a myth, whereas the Church and the Mage's Association knows that it is historical fact, but there aren't many texts or items left over from that era of time after Camelot fell.**

**As for altering the legend… well, you'll have to wait and see ;)**

**And yes! You caught the reference; can you see all of the others in the previous chapters?**

**Markus-Antonius – Good sir, we must speak soon :) !**

**Anyways, let's continue on with the story! Now, just to let you guys know, it's been a little over two years since the last chapter. Keep that in mind as you're reading.**

* * *

Chapter 5: The Rise of Camelot Part V

-September, 471 AD-

It had been two years since Arturia bloodless victory over the Gaels, with word spreading across the lands of her victory coupled with the ongoing construction of Camelot. The people rejoiced at their king's progress as she cut a swath across the lands, that rightfully belonged to them; Arturia was becoming known as the 'Perfect King' in due to her success. More nobles and lords committed to the army & construction with coin and trade beginning to flow through the city. The markets had been set up where animals, food, armor, all manner of goods where sold. However, the city guard thoroughly checked the sellers along with their products, as per the policy set up since the failed assassination of the king.

Housing for the people was constructed for the families that lost their homes to foreigners or those fleeing the north from Vortigern… at least those that survived. Ever since the few thousand soldiers that fled down south three years ago, the tyrant had begun to crack down on his people and army; all the while the Saxons began crossing up north to stay safe from Arturia's justice. Well… those that were smart at least. There were still many foolish Saxons who decided to try and hold onto their claims in her lands, but that would be cut down quickly.

As for the walls, they stood high enough to provide cover to the buildings, but they only stretched to that of two stories tall. Either way, guard patrols were set up at battlements along with some barracks that were situated in tents near the steps leading to the top. Soon enough, the masons would work with the carpenters guild to construct a more permanent lodging for them.

A few farmers moved into the city as they began hard at work with planting and cultivating their crops, along with breeding the animals all meant for providing food for the capital.

Naruto stood atop a tower that would be part of the palace, that was progressing along nicely. He took in the sight of the builders, the people, the animals, all of the business that was being conducted in the day, "It's all coming together."

_**'You don't seem unhappy that she left you behind a few days ago while she took the army off to battle.'**_ Kurama chimed in.

Naruto however shook his head, _'Not at all. She left me and Ector in charge of the place until she returns.'_

_**'Ector and I.'**_ Kurama corrected tersely, something that made Naruto grit his teeth in annoyance at the Beast's pedantic-ness. Six months ago, Merlin had begun also trying to tutor Naruto on proper speaking and writing etiquette for the inevitable times that he would have to stand in Merlin's place in the court. It had bored Naruto to tears, and he tended to focus on Magecraft during that time, Kurama, on the other hand, had paid attention and made it his mission to correct Naruto's turn of speech at random times. Never let it be said that he did it for altruistic motives, he just did it to piss Naruto off.

The barbarians had been making hit 'n' run raids on some settlement, though they were driven off by Camelot forces, with the civilians escorted back to the capital to where they could rebuild their lives of what once was lost to the foreigners. Naruto's spies tracked them back to their main holdout: The Woods of Celidon.

A place that was thought little of, truth be told. No one ventured out there due to how dense the woods were, along with the terrain that provided a natural barrier to outsiders. Although Naruto had sent a Shadow Clone out to scout the area for weak spots along with making sure that they would have advantageous points for them to take advantage of.

When they began to make the strategy, Arturia actually requested that he stay behind with her foster father, Ector. At first, he would have inquired why however he then recalled that Ector had taken an arrow to his leg in a previous barbarian suppression raid. Naruto understood that Arturia was worried for her family, as was Kay to which stayed in Camelot with Ector, acting as the 'regents' for the time being.

There was one thing that Naruto found to be very odd with Arturia though; despite three years having passed since drawing Caliburn, and she should have the body of a twenty-one-year-old… yet she still retained her look from that day. Naruto had asked Merlin what the deal was, with his teacher explaining to him that it was Caliburn itself that had stopped her ageing. Had she continued to do so, then her status as a woman would be all that much easier to decipher. Thus it was best for her to remain at the age of eighteen to masquerade as a young man instead.

Coincidentally it bolstered the morale of the British people with the idea that their King would never change and would always be there for them, leading to some dubbing her with the title 'Once and Future King'.

Naruto breathed in the fresh air of the capital as he sat down, relaxed knowing that Arturia would be returning within the day. In a way… this view reminded him of the one back home on the Hokage monument, "I'm gonna be sure to remember this for all time." He ingrained the image of Camelot as it was, for when the city was completed, he would ingrain that image into his memory to see how far it had come. The exterior Bounded Field was triggered, no doubt signaling Arturia's return from the battle. Naruto Reinforced his eyesight to see that it was true indeed, as Arturia road Llamrei at the head of the returning army, the ninja gazed down to see a wagon filled with hay beneath him with the idea of landing on it.

Naruto stood up before he jumped off the tower, down into the hay where he landed softly for the most part that is since gravity was still a pain in the ass. He leapt out to make his way to the central gate where the people began to congregate, they celebrated their king's return.

"God bless you, your majesty!" Coursed a congregation of children, their cherubesque voices coming over the general burble of cheers. Their parents watching on happily.

"The Perfect King returns!" The city guard chanted from the battlements, happy to see the conquering army returning safe and sound.

Arturia kept up a small smile as she nodded to her sides where the people rejoiced, with the inner circle knights right behind her. Bedivere, Gawain, Kay, Lancelot, Gaheris and Gareth, the last of whom had her visor down to help conceal her gender. Although they now had two more in their ranks: Percival & Palamedes.

Shorter than most of his fellow knights at 5"8' but no less striking, Percival had impressive features that one would associate with an idealized knight with brown eyes that matched his swept-back brown hair. A few stray strands hung around his left eye. Of all the knights Naruto had ever seen, Percival had the most stylish armor with an armored red and silver coat that was woven into plates of steel, the plates themselves having intricate red filigree scrawling across its surface. Like most knights, he had a broadsword at his side, though this one had a corded handle and the blade itself was darker than most.

Next to him was Palamedes. This one was of a similar height and build as Gawain but with more rigid features around the face and short hair of an auburn hue. His armor was sparse compared with his peers, only covering the critical areas of his chest, shoulders and legs. All of which were decked in a light looking though still intimidating greenish steel with golden relief present. He wore a brown cape on his back fitted with an array of straps and belts meant to hold a weapon, be it spear or sword.

They had joined a few weeks ago under Ector's recommendation due to their skill in battle and trustworthiness to keep the secrets they held within the inner circle. Both of the knights proved to be surprised at first upon Arturia's real gender shown to them, but they were thrilled to serve such a king; their loyalty was shown to be unwavering in that instant. As for their disposition to Naruto… Percival was too starstruck by the king to really pay attention to Naruto all that much, but he acknowledged him as a comrade who served Arturia. While Palamedes saw Naruto in a kindhearted way, he thought he rather childish when it came down to life or death situations, although it always just a case where they wound up living, either way, all due to the ninja vampire.

Naruto approached Arturia walking alongside Llamrei on the right to their quarters near the incomplete palace, "How did your victory go, my king?"

Arturia looked down to answer, "The battle was fierce, but we prevailed, nonetheless. Our casualties were low this time compared to others; however we will still need to prepare their bodies for burial, as will their personal effects be given to their families." At the back end of their march through the city, horses were drawing carts full of their fallen soldiers, wrapped up in shrouds to prevent the flies from getting into them to provide dignity for when they would be buried later in the capital.

Naruto nodded as he continued, "I understand, my king." He pulled out a small scroll from his pocket and looked it over before speaking again, "By the way, my spies managed to locate a Saxon held castle up in the contested lands." Arturia's eyes widened while her grip on Llamrei's reigns tightened up at the mere mention of the Saxons, given that her uncle allowed them free reign.

"Where are they encamped at?"

Naruto briefly glanced back to the parchment to list off the location where the Saxons were tracked back to, "Castle Guinnion in fact. They have a couple of guard posts, though I can take care of that problem. Thing is, we'll have to sneak in during the night to open the gates for us to get inside." He frowned at the cause, "That place was built to last through a siege, and it would take us several days to break through." He looked back up to Arturia as they arrived at the stables where they dismounted their steeds, "Plus, we'll need to replenish our ranks if we're to take Vortigern's fortress." He briefly glanced around them to make sure civilians were out of earshot as he brought a hand to whisper into her ear, "There have been rumors of people disappearing near the fortress, and no one seems to be able to know how or why. I'll explain later when we have a war meeting."

Arturia could sense the unease in his voice. Whatever it was that he wanted to tell her about these disappearances, there was more to it than just something only trying to surround them, "I understand." They turned to head towards their quarters where Ector awaited to greet their return, "Sir Ector, how fares Camelot's construction and safety?"

"It fares well, my king." Ector replied as he gestured for them to walk behind him, "Construction on the capital has been progressing far faster than we expected, the majority of it due to your reputation inspiring the bannermen to commit more coin and supplies." The treasury was set up to help with the funding along with financial intake to distribute the necessary amount to the city's construction along with businesses within the busy marketplace.

Ector walked on Arturia's left while Naruto was on her right, hood up with the inner circle knights trailing behind them. However, Arturia noticed that Ector's stride was… hindered by the injury he received. She noted how he took an extra bit of stress in his leg to keep pace with them, "As for security, the guardsmen have been vigilant, checking through what comes and goes through the gates. Some of the merchants aren't too happy about it, but after we explained the attempted assassination years prior, they understood well enough then."

"That is good to hear, Sir Ector." Arturia nodded as they finally made their way to the war council building.

The inner circle now stood around the table as Naruto pulled out a map of the region where the castle he spoke of, "Now, I know your majesty, and the rest of you are no doubt tired after having come home from battle. But I feel that we should go ahead and lay things out now while they're still fresh in our minds." Naruto pulled out a dagger and jabbed it into the map as he continued, "The Saxons have Castle Guinnion under their control in the contested lands. While their numbers are within a few 2000 or so, they have a few scout tents to send alarms, as they can raise it to put the castle into a full defensive. If that happens, we'll be laying siege to the castle for days as we lose men to their fortifications." Naruto laid that out clear for them all to understand.

He looked to Arturia who was now contemplating a way for them to take the castle while keeping their casualties down, "Can we sneak into the castle?" The king asked in curiosity, knowing that such a thing could be possible, but given the size of the castle, they would need at the very least six very skilled men to do. And Naruto could only be in four places at once. She knew that Lancelot's skill would be invaluable for them to infiltrate, however… that left the last spot open. The rest of the inner circle were not very adept at this type of play.

"We can…" Naruto began as he scratched the back of his head, "…but I'll need some help in that regard. Plus, we need to go out and find some more recruits after the last battle, I'm sure of that."

Arturia hummed at his words, "I see then. And what of the 'private' matter you mentioned for us?" The other knights' attention peaked with what was said.

Naruto gained a look of slight dread as he unfolded a parchment, no doubt from one of his spies, "Yeah… people up in Vortigern's lands have been disappearing for a while now. At first, they were few and far between. But now they're happening a few every month, and no one knows where they're at." Naruto saw that the knights were paying close attention as they all were in silent dread, "The only real evidence that they've gone missing are broken down doors, and open windows with a few having small patches of blood where they once were before being taken." He could see Arturia clenching her gauntleted fists at the news, no doubt anger swelling inside of her with how no one was doing anything about this mess, "My king. If we're to take Vortigern on, we'll need more than just the 10,000 we have right now. I'm not sure what's going on up there, but it can't be anything good."

Arturia no longer clenched her fist, hearing Naruto's words to hold off from assaulting Vortigern at the moment. She desperately wanted to liberate the people under his rule, however Naruto argued that they needed to deal with the enemies they had that were still on her lands, along with those that would make a difficult time for them while taking the north. The contested territories were currently a border between her and Vortigern with either the Saxons raiding or the opposing armies just waiting for the other to completely cross over and begin the final battle to decide Britain's fate. She turned to face Naruto to speak, "I understand. Even though we have the numbers I originally believed was necessary to assault Vortigern, recent events have shown me otherwise."

She turned back to gaze at each of the inner circle knights, "Until we are fully prepared to assault the north, with cutting Vortigern off from his Saxon allies, along with driving off any other enemies we have within our lands, as well as our men in high morale, I will not lead an assault to the north. I will not risk your lives, or the lives of our men so recklessly until we know we can lay siege." Each of the knights had small smile grace their features at Arturia's words concern for them. Whatever it was that was going on up north, it had them on edge now though. For better or worse, this would have to be a temporary thing.

"Everyone is dismissed, please take the time to rest and recuperate from our days of travel and battle." Arturia gave her command out to her knights. While it may have appeared as one, honestly they were words of concern and caring for the ones under her watch as the king.

Everyone crossed their arms as they bowed slightly to salute.

"YES, MY KING."

And with that, everyone left the war council building to resume their duties and rest before the next battle, while Arturia headed off to her quarters to begin writing out to the nobles loyal to her to send more support in regards to a siege to the north. Naruto followed behind her for he one last thing to say to her, not due to being a matter for her as the king, but instead, something that could potentially lift her spirits a bit, "Off to work getting word out for more men needed, my king?"

Arturia nodded in affirmation, "Indeed. You're welcome to come help if you would like to." Giving him a small smile. Arturia always enjoyed Naruto's company alongside her, although ever since her father and brother gave her their 'blessing', she didn't know how to take that in all honesty and decided to keep it in the back of her mind.

"My king, you're blushing."

Arturia blinked as Naruto gave her an inquisitive look. She shook her head to fight the blush down all the while trying to make up an excuse for that blunder, leave it to a Vampire to see blood flowing to her cheeks. "M-My apologies. I was simply thinking back on something that was… well, it doesn't matter at the moment." Naruto wasn't sure what exactly she was referring to, to get that kind of reaction from her. Although he wouldn't deny that she did look a little cute…

_'NO! NO! NO! DON'T HAVE DIRTY THOUGHTS ABOUT YOUR KING YOU IDIOT!'_

_**'Ugh… seriously, that's what you're thinking about right now? It's not even dirty to begin with, so why deny the obvious?'**_

_'Fuck off!'_

_**'Whatever. Wake me when something between you two actually happens. Then I'll start up the speech I've got prepared.'**_

Naruto slapped his cheeks a bit to focus back on reality with Arturia looking at him somewhat perplexed and worried for her retainer, "Naruto. Are you alright?"

Arturia saw that her friend and retainer was in one of his 'facial changes', usually when it seemed that he was having some sort of internal conversation with himself. Naruto gave a weak smile as he responded, "Yeah, sorry about that. My conscience is just being stupid, that's all my king." He chuckled as he could feel Kurama's snort at the remark. He needed to get his mind off these things and onto something else like recruitment, "Anyways… uh… I should… probably do something right now, like maybe figuring out we're gonna take that castle." Naruto blushed in embarrassment at foolish he may have appeared, though it was also for another reason…

Arturia wasn't sure what brought that about, with a small frown briefly showing before she patted Naruto's shoulder as she smiled again, "I understand then, Naruto. I hope your recruitment goes well for the coming battle."

Naruto nodded, "So do I, my king. So do I."

Naruto turned about to head to the stables as Arturia continued on to her quarters. Truthfully, she was slightly disappointed by that little chat. She always enjoyed Naruto's prescience as it brought joy to her, along with bringing a bit more energy to Periwinkle, who now had grown once again in two years. Said lion was actually making his way through the parting soldiers as he looked up to his 'mother' that was the king, "Hello, Periwinkle. How was everything while I was away?"

Periwinkle chuffed as he stood up on his hind legs to give Arturia a hug that enveloped her, "Ohh… thank you, Periwinkle, but right now I need to get back to my quarters." The lion seemed to understand her as he let go to turn around back to their residence, all the while the lion looked around him in what appeared to be curiosity, "I'm sorry, but Naruto won't be joining us today." Periwinkle let a low rumble that sounded rather sad to her ears; he was fond of Naruto whenever he was around as the lion always seemed at peace when she and the vampire together.

Arturia tried to think of why the lack of the blonde Apostle was making her feel a sense of longing because no matter how hard she tried, she could not understand this phantom feeling dancing within her heart.

* * *

Naruto was making his way back to the stables to take Dun out to find some men that wanted to serve, along with at least two men that had skill in infiltration. He went through the inner circle members who did at least have expertise in that regard, or talent that could adapt quickly in a situation like that. Each of them had a skill or ability that made them excel above the others, although Lancelot's own capability would be of great benefit in the infiltration. Thing is though, Naruto needed an archer with high skills with them. And sad to say, none of the knights was as good as he needed them to be.

"Naruto…" Said man turned to his side to see Lancelot tending to his horse, "…where are you heading out to?"

Lancelot had developed well during his time in Camelot, his jaw had become broader and stronger than it was before. Losing the boyish charm and shifting towards a more handsome man. He had ditched the dark purple armour for a nigh identical set in crisp white, golden knee pads and edging surrounding the plates. Blue tassels with golden cross-shaped ends dangled from the shoulders to his knees as some sort of avant-garde cape...Naruto kind of liked it

"Recruiting, actually." Naruto whistled for Dun to come forward, with the proud white stallion marching towards him, "I'm heading over to the contested lands." Naruto began to get the saddle up on the horse as he continued on, "With luck, there's bound to be a few men that'll join up with us. Taverns are always full of Hedge Knights and those with more...shadowy skillsets" Naruto finished getting ready as he mounted Dun with a stableman handing him a pack for the trip, "I'll be gone perhaps a day or two. The king's writing letters to nobles for more support to get ready for the push to the north."

Lancelot nodded as he looked around briefly before he pulled an infantryman aside, "Have the king notified that I will be with the Court Magus Apprentice. We are heading out for recruitment and should be back within two days; possibly with new men ready to join the campaign." The man nodded while the stableman handed him a travel pack just as he did Naruto. Lancelot saddled up atop his horse and looked to Naruto for what comes next; gesturing for him to take the lead, "Shall we?"

Naruto saw that he now had some help and didn't mind it, "Alrighty then, let's head out."

* * *

-One Day Later; in the Contested Lands-

The galloping of horse hoofs echoed through the air as Naruto & Lancelot came up to a large tavern where travellers resided to rest or drink their fill.

"Looks like this'll be our first stop, my good friend." Naruto reigned in Dun over to the railing to tie him off to as Lancelot did the same, "Let's see just who wants to come with us."

The duo dismounted their stallions with Lancelot beside him, "Are you sure we should be looking here of all places?" While he did not doubt Naruto's eye for scouting people with skills, in his belief that the vampire was at least several decades old since they no longer aged when turned, he wasn't entirely sure about the tavern in front of them would hold men with skill in battle.

Naruto waved it off, "Sure we will, I mean there's bound to be a few guys that made their way across the lands we're heading into to take the castle. Not just that, you'll find a few guys with skills we're looking for traveling on the road on their own." Naruto could tell Lancelot didn't seem convinced but reluctantly came along with him as they opened the door to step inside the tavern. "Trust me on this, I've been doing this long before you were a gleam in your father's eye~!" he japed goodheartedly, ducking under Lancelot's gauntleted hand that tried to swat at his head.

It was lively with men eating, drinking, talking with one another just as one would expect. Though the question whom they preferred on the throne roused in Lancelot's mind, "I think now the question of which king they believe in will be put to the test."

Naruto hummed in response, sensing that this would take time so he opted for an alternative that may or may not earn them the ire of every man in the tavern, "You uh… might want to keep the door open just in case we need to make a quick escape."

Lancelot could only raise a brow at what sort of unorthodox method the mage apprentice had up his sleeve but complied, nonetheless. Naruto stepped forward and raise his arms in mock joy as he shouted out his next words, "GOD SAVE KING VORTIGERN!"

Well… the desired effect occurred when every man in the tavern suddenly stopped what they were doing as they all turned to the duo with heavy glares. The bartender took an open bottle that was still pretty full back from the bar and ducked underneath it, sensing that things were heading south. The men drew their weapons as they rose from their seats with some even still holding their drinks and food in hand.

Naruto chuckled nervously as he spoke to Lancelot, "Yup. We're in the right place, alright." The men took a step forward as the two Pendragon retainers quickly opened the door just as food and goblets came flying through the air, along with a few daggers that were jammed into the thick wooden door. Naruto held the door handle with his monster strength while Lancelot was on the other side of the wall breathing heavily. He looked at Naruto with an expression of worry for his friends' sanity, though Naruto appeared quite sane, "Oh yeah, we've got loyalists here."

Next thing they knew, an arrow suddenly shot halfway through the door that came within an inch of Naruto's face, "Wow…" He looked to Lancelot as he chuckled nervously, "…and I think we found our archer for the raid."

* * *

After clearing things up that they were here on recruitment for King Arthur, not Vortigern, whom every man apparently hated based on how they reacted when Naruto shouted before, they received quite a few men that were willing to follow them back to Camelot to sign up in the army.

But then there was the man that had shot the arrow through the door that nearly skewered Naruto's face. As it turns out, the young man approached himself and Lancelot after many of the others had gone back to their drinking & eating, leaving them alone with the very skilled archer.

The somewhat morose young man had long red hair that hung loosely around his face and shoulders in flowing crimson waves. His features were feminine with a small nose and thin eyebrows, and Naruto could not get a clear look at his eyes for he kept them closed for some unknown reason. Even though his face had no wrinkle from age or stress, he still managed to convey a feeling of sadness from his demeanor alone. A full bodysuit adorned with multiple interlocked pieces of curved steel served as his attire with the only unarmored sections being found at the top of his legs and joints to aid in movement.

Slung over the shoulders was a predominantly white cape with gold threading at the hem and a white-furred collar. For armored, the redhead wore a straight sword sheathed at his left hip which oddly lacked any kind of guard, but his primary weapon was slung over his shoulders. Naruto looked askance at it, debating on calling it a weapon was accurate. It was a silver bow with no less than six bowstrings and prongs along the main body at uniform intervals. A sizeable rounded guard protected the grip... all in all; it looked more like some instrument rather than a weapon.

Yet despite his appearance, both Pendragon retainers could see that he was extremely skilled with the bow as Naruto immediately asked him, "So what's your name, bullseye?"

The man merely raised an eyelid slightly, likely the only thing Naruto could equate to mild surprise. He placed a hand over his chest as he bowed his head slightly, "My name is Tristan, good sir."

Lancelot could tell that by clothing that he was of nobility, "You are a knight of another land, are you not?"

Tristan sighed as he took a seat across from the duo, "You are correct. I am… was a knight under King Mark of Cornwall. However, … I was forced to leave the royal court under… less than desirable circumstances." He shook his head at the memory. Tristan fell in love with a woman named Iseult. No, he was made to fall in love. It was a love made to be by means of an aphrodisiac; yet nevertheless, it was the first love Tristan, ever experienced, one worthy for him to devote his life for.

The tragedy probably lay in the fact that Iseult was the woman whom his king loved and vowed to marry. Before long, thanks to the admonition of his king's courtiers who envied Tristan, the archer was inevitably forced to leave the court.

Thus, he set out to find something new to devote his life towards, "Now I find myself searching for something new to devote my life to. I had heard of the tyranny of Vortigern in the north, while your King Arthur fights to depose him, as he brings stability and happiness to the lands he owns." Tristan opened his newly revealed brown-colored eyes to stare intently into Naruto & Lancelot's own, "So I ask thee both… is King Arthur, a man that one can devote one self's life towards serving in happiness?"

Quite the profound question if one were merely just a member of Arturia's army. However, Tristan sat in front of two of her most faithful retainers, members of her inner circle that put their lives on the line for their king. Lancelot was about to respond, but Naruto beat him to the punch, "Absolutely! King Arthur is a king unlike any other. Arthur will not ask you to do something he would not do. The king cares for the people and the lands, to free them from that tyrant bastard Vortigern. The king is someone that we… that I've devoted my life…" Naruto corrected himself with Lancelot with him, as his defense of Arturia was getting the better of him, "…our lives to serving. And we don't regret it one damn bit."

Lancelot gave a small chuckle as he smirked at Naruto's answer. The vampire's own affection for Arturia shined through in that answer, while still keeping her gender hidden when he referred to her as 'the king'. He looked to Tristan in front of them as the archer's eyes were widened slightly. Most likely surprised to see such devotion to a king whose name and deeds spread through the lands.

Tristan most likely had heard these things from his travels, and merely wanted proof of loyalty before committing himself to their cause. Lancelot spoke next as Naruto's enthusiasm calmed down, "What my friend speaks of is true. I hail from Britannia across the seas from my father, King Ban. At first, I did not believe in the King of Knights, but upon seeing the king charge fearlessly into battle against the enemy as I arrived unprepared for an ambush… whatever disbelief I had of the king was swept away in an instant."

Tristan closed his eyes as he dipped his head down slightly; most likely pondering their answers to his question. Before long, Tristan looked back up to the two of them with a response of his own, "I see… very well then. I will serve King Arthur, if you will have me alongside you."

Both retainers smiled that they had another knight of great skill and character… at least they assumed him to be based upon his question… within their company. Naruto, however, leaned on the table as he needed to know one crucial thing, "Glad to have you aboard, Tristan. Now, I've got a question for you: How experienced are you in infiltrating a castle?"

Tristan raised a brow at that, "Intimately." He replied casually as if being asked about the weather.

* * *

-Morgan le Fay's Lair-

Morgan laid on her side as she gazed down at the notes Blackmore gave to her concerning Altrouge's creation. The Crimson Moon certainly outdid himself with his work on her; to be used as a potential vessel if the need ever came to transfer his consciousness and essence into her body, however, Zelretch put that plan down quite severely. Though such an observation had not won her many points from the raven themed Ancestor who had stormed off ranting about "The Dark Six!"

True Ancestors were predisposed to being male due to Brunstud's gender, so the idea of creating a new being outside of the constraints put in place by Gaia took some effort. The Ultimate One of the Moon had taken the blood of a male True Ancestor and performed Marble Phantasm upon it to retrofit the existing cells into the male Gamete while doing the same with the blood of a Dead Apostle to create an Egg. The resulting Zygote was placed within the body of a third party who was kept close to Brunestud so his power could quicken the process.

Nevertheless, this was undoubted to help her with the framework of creating her weapon to send into Camelot. As Odysseus once did in Troy, she would create her own Trojan Horse to bring about Arturia's end. She turned to the Scrying Orb situated next to her as she watched her little sister prepare to take the castle the Saxons were currently located in. Morgan gazed at the sword on her hip, seeing that Caliburn's magics were an aid to hide her gender to hold the throne as the king, "Perhaps I should finally dispose of that little annoyance after she's finished up."

* * *

-Outside the Castle Guinnion; Several Days Later-

The sound of ruffling bushes came about as Naruto stepped out with Lancelot & Tristan behind him. They now stood at the wall of the castle where the Saxons had no guards. The fools…

Naruto looked to Tristan as he readied his bow, "All set?" One would be very worried of a bowman firing off something with their eyes seemingly close. However, Tristan was not your regular archer; far from it in fact. He tied off a rope that had been reinforced by Naruto's Magecraft to the steel tipped arrow to allow them to scale the walls efficiently.

Tristan took aim before he loosened the arrow where it struck its mark perfectly near the top of the wall. Lancelot pulled on the rope to judge how it held; sensing that it would take their weight, the knights scaled up the wall one at a time while Naruto merely walked up the side like he would the ground. Lancelot had grown accustomed to Naruto's unique… abilities over the years, though he could sense Tristan's eyes widen at the sight but said nothing on the matter given their current task at hand.

The trio of castle invaders made their way to the top where they ducked into a spot that kept them hidden from any guards that could see them. Naruto pulled out a map of the castle with a few 'X's marked on them. "Alright so, we need to get the main gates open for our forces to enter the place. Problem is, we also need to lock down the armory in case they manage to raise the alarm. I doubt they'll get the chance, but better safe than sorry. Next, we need to head into the central chambers where the chieftain is situated at. We'll catch the bastard in his sleep and bring out to have him surrender before things get too bloody."

Naruto looked to his partners as they nodded in agreement with the assessment. He looked to Lancelot first as he explained what his task would be, "Lancelot; you and one of my Shadow Clones will head down to the armory to secure it." He finished before turning to Tristan, "Tristan; you and another of my Shadow Clones will go secure the main gates. Your bow is better suited out here than the enclosed hallways to take out any enemies that spot us quickly."

Both knights nodded as Naruto created three Shadow Clones for them to split up into three teams of two. Tristan however brought up his own question, "What about you? Where will you and your third double headed off to?"

"We'll head to find the chieftains…" Naruto explained, "…with luck, they'll be smart and order their men to surrender. Although prior experience tells me that they won't do it very easily." He recalled the first battle that the last standing chieftain refused to surrender to Arturia; most likely out of spite to her, but also for his own pride in battle.

"Alright, men. Let's get to it and bring victory to the king."

The infiltrators nodded as they split up to their objectives.

* * *

Outside the castle walls, Arturia was at the ready when she mounted Llamrei with the rest of the inner circle beside her, and her army at the ready to move into the castle once Naruto fired off a mana surge for her to see. Bedivere was keeping an eye on the top of the walls where he spotted a few Saxons guards with torches, "It seems they're already at work getting the defences down." Despite the darkness of the night, the moonlight shone down brightly with no clouds in the sky to blot it out.

Arturia saw that a few guards were brought down either by arrows or Naruto's speed with his kunai, "They may have already secured the main gates."

"If that's the case…" Gaheris spoke up, "…then, why haven't they given the signal yet?" In his mind, if they had control of the gates, then they would already have the advantage of the battle.

Kay, however, shook his head, "They still need to secure the armory and their leader."

"Have faith in the plan, Gaheris," Arturia said to ease things up for their forces. They would need to be patient as well as collected to prevail tonight.

* * *

A pair of Saxons stood guard in the hallway with the armory entrance to their side, along with torches illuminating the place for them to see clearly. Suddenly, their torches went out as a gentle breeze blew through the hall.

"What the hell?" One of them shouted in dismay, not hearing the silent footsteps creeping along the hallway.

"Goddammit, I can't see a damned thin—AGHK!"

Both men were cut off as kunai buried themselves into their skulls, causing them to slump down with their backs up against the wall.

"**Yugito**."

The lone word relit the torches to reveal Lancelot along with one of the Naru-Clones with an outstretched arm, his pointer finger extended out as it glowed blue; an after effect of the spell casting.

They made their way over to the armory door as Lancelot opened it to view all of the weapons stored within it: swords, battle axes, wooden shields, spears, bows, arrows, slings, daggers, flails, maces, etc. Weapons that they had brought with them over the seas, while others were stolen no doubt based upon inspection of their appearance.

"It looks like we have their armory now," Lancelot spoke as Naruto dragged the two corpses inside to hide them from anyone who happened to pass by.

* * *

Naruto and his Shadow Clone managed to make their way to the interior quietly due to his very first Mystic Code: Carnwennan. It was forged from the Mythril that Altrouge had given to him years ago when he first set out to Britain to begin his mage training; the dagger allowed him to meld with the shadows when he channeled Prana into the weapon, rendering him invisible to those who could see him.

The dagger was quite large, perhaps twice the length of a Kunai but far flatter in terms of the overall shape. The handle was a dark blue ovaloid with gold trimming, the end of which was shaped like an inverted Vjajara that Naruto had witnessed in depictions that Merlin had shown him of the Hindu God Indra's lightning bolt. This was on purpose because the shape held the concept which Naruto had chosen to build off of into this Conceptual Weapon; 'Controlling the shape of power', though this was not meant to control lightning like it's divine base. The area of exposed tang that ran between the grip and blade was inset with a banded onyx gem that somehow held a dark gold color yet emitted no light. The Mithril blade was of an arrowhead shape that would give the wielder's hand some protection

Opening the door quietly, Naruto himself slowly made his way over the Saxon chieftain who slept soundly without a care in the world. Naruto crept carefully towards his target, placing the dagger against his throat while clasping the now waking and panicking Saxon chieftain. The hood of Naruto's armor, when worn up, gave him a very terrifying appearance in the night with the red eyes glowing with power… a power that promised pain unless one followed his very commands, "Good evening, mister chieftain. Now if you would be so kind as to surrender to King Arthur, that would be most appreciated."

* * *

After the battle, or rather a short skirmish that it turned into with the Saxon chieftain not surrendering along with a few others, unlike the majority of men who were smart enough to recognize the futility of the situation and surrendered. Punishments and offers were carried out, coupled with burials and burnings like before. Tristan was made an official member of the inner circle having proved himself to be both loyal and protective of their cause.

Everyone was getting situated to retire in the castle this time around as opposed to sleeping out in tents like before, with Naruto once again cooking dinner for Arturia. They decided to have it in the chamber where the Saxons chieftain resided in with Naruto preparing what they had on hand along with what the Saxons brought with them or raided from supply chains.

As he was preparing the finishing touches on dinner, Naruto head upstairs to Arturia's room where he suddenly felt something… off… Unsure of what it was, Naruto opened the door to see two people inside: Arturia and Morgan.

His King was restrained by black mist, glaring at her sister with daggers for eyes. If they really were eyes, then Morgan would be dead a hundred times over. Naruto took Carnwennan out as he stepped forward before Morgan held a finger up to stop his advance, "Uh, uh, uh… let's not be too hasty, shall we? I mean, really this is your fault after all."

Naruto's glare became sharpened at the last statement, "Excuse me?"

Morgan could only shrug at his question as she strode over to where Caliburn was put down, picking the sword up she unsheathed the blade as she tossed it between her hands, "Well you were an inattentive concubine to my dear little sister, and such actions have consequences such as these."

Oh, this bitch…

Naruto desperately wanted to spring into action and slit her throat, but the mist restraining Arturia had him very much worried. She no doubt could use her Mana Burst to disperse it… but if it were that easy, then she should've broken free. Morgan seemed to be able to read him like a book as she smirked at him before speaking again, "I know how my sister's Dragon Core functions, so she can't escape obviously. And please, darling… don't bother trying to kill me. We both know you won't since if you do, you lose your little fun time with her, after all."

Both captives grit their teeth at her words. They knew Morgan was going to make off with Caliburn now, with the King's symbol of leadership effectively destroyed. But they also were not fans of the jab she took at the relationship between them.

Naruto reluctantly backed down from Morgan before she took another jab, "That's a good boy." Black mist restrained Naruto just as it did Arturia; Morgan made her way over to him as she lifted her veil up just enough for her lips to kiss his cheek. Arturia's fists clenched up as she seethed in anger at the sight while Naruto tried to move his head back away from Morgan, only for the mist to shove him back towards her, "I mean really, I'm not a slobbering beast with acid in my mouth, it wasn't bad."

Morgan cupped his cheek as she looked into his eyes, "Don't worry, I won't steal everything from you." She glanced back to her sister to take in the enjoyment of her expression, "Besides, it's so much better when you both have so much… only to find in the end, it all comes crumbling down in fire and blood." Morgan laughed out loud as she vanished into the mist that left the captives.

Arturia coughed as she massaged her throat, with Naruto rushing towards her to check on her condition, "Are you alright, my King? She didn't—"

"No. No, I am fine, Naruto." Arturia cut him off to placate his worry. She turned back to the now emptied sheath that Caliburn once resided in, as a lone tear shed, "But Caliburn…" The sword that designated her as the King… that she would pass down to her heir… was now gone… likely forever… Arturia felt Naruto's hands grasp her own, to try and console her over the loss.

Naruto could see that Arturia was now profoundly hurt by what her sister had done in front of her, and without a proper sword meant for the King to wield… "Arturia. My King." Naruto winced at the usage of her first name so flippantly, yet so seriously, he held her hands as he bent down to his knees, "If you need a sword to wield in battle, to pass judgment or anoint those whom you deem necessary, then… I am at your disposal. Use me in Caliburn's stead. Wield me as your sword." He bowed his head to her to try and help lift her spirits up.

Usually, a king would scold their subject for using their first name out in the open as Naruto did, however, Arturia did not. She saw that he was trying to do something good with what he could after Morgan made off with Caliburn and how she… kissed her retainer… Naruto's cheek. At that moment, she wasn't sure what it was that drove her mad with anger at her sister's action… but she absolutely hated it. She wanted to do nothing more than cut her down for that alone. Arturia breathed in deeply at how dedicated Naruto was to her, as she intended to let him know to not worry for her loss of Caliburn, a tiny voice addressed them, "Excuse me, your majesty."

Naruto lifted his head to locate the source of the voice with Arturia doing the same, only for them to gaze at the doorway where a young Lesser Fae stood with her hand raised up in the air like a child asking a question. Naruto stood up as he kept a hold of one of Arturia's hands while he brought forth Carnwennan to defend her; however, the Fae held both up to wave in slight fear, "Oh, pardon me! I am so sorry for not introducing myself properly." Naruto looked confused at the Lesser Fae as he looked to Arturia for orders.

Arturia herself was perplexed by the Fae as it appeared to be like that of a child merely seeking to deliver something unto them. She patted Naruto hand that held her other with her free one to ease up, to which he did before Arturia addressed the Fae, "Who are you?"

The Fae entered the room before she bowed deeply to Arturia, "I am but am an emissary for Vivian: The Lady of the Lake." The Fae stopped bowing to speak again to them, "My lady wishes to aid you, the Promised King of Knights in your endeavours to bring the light and peace back to Britain." The Fae smiled brilliant to help put them at ease before she turned to Naruto, "She also wishes to speak with you as well, Knight of Sky Silver."

Naruto was taken aback by that last sentence, "She… does…?"

The Fae nodded, "She does and has been wishing to speak to you for quite some time now, but you have been busy with aiding the King. She did not wish to keep the two of you apart."

The duo blushed slightly before shaking their heads to concentrate on the new matter at hand, "Where is the Lady of the Lake residing at?" Arturia asked the Fae.

"Lady Vivian is within Dozmary Pool. She has gifts for you, as well as your two most trusted knights." The Fae said before she bowed her head once more, "She awaits your arrival, King Arturia." She vanished into blue dust that swept away before their eyes.

Naruto sighed as he massaged his temples at this new development, "So a Fae that wants to help us with 'gifts' and talk to me. Greeeeaaaat."

Arturia stood up as she patted him on the shoulder, "Have no fear, Naruto. I have a feeling that this is not something as terrible as you believe it to be." She made her way through the door as Naruto followed her, all the while, she continued speaking, "And besides I like that title for you."

"Huh?" Naruto raised a brow in confusion, "What title?"

"The Knight of Sky Silver." She glanced back to her retainer to clarify for him, "The color of your armor plating, it fits you well."

Naruto scratched his cheek at this, unsure of what to say in response.

It did have a nice ring to it.

* * *

It wasn't long after the Fae came by that Naruto & Arturia left to find Lancelot & Gawain; Arturia's most trusted knights as they were called. Saddling up, Arturia led them through as the remaining inner circle knights remained with Kay in charge.

Bedivere stepped forward to Arturia before speaking, "How long will you all be gone for, my king?" He was in charge of her personal guard, as it was his duty to stay by her side. And having heard what just occurred with the break-in by Morgan… with the King defenseless.

"We should be back by morning, Sir Bedivere." Arturia stated, "You need not worry for my safety, I am in good hands."

Bedivere did trust Gawain & Lancelot, though upon seeing Naruto all geared up, his worries were placed at ease. He knew just how much the vampire cared for their King, bordering on affection and knew that whenever he was near the King, then he need not worry, "I understand. Good luck, my King."

The four of them left into the night towards their destination to receive the Lade of the Lake's gifts & words.

* * *

-A Few Hours Later-

Naruto had decided to take the lead in front to Arturia, while Lancelot and Gawain took from her side behind her for her own security. Arturia did not protest since Naruto did say he would be her sword in place of the lost Caliburn, although she did have to wonder, "Naruto. What 'gifts' do you think the Lady of the Lake has for us?"

Naruto kept his eye on the road as he responded, "Well, my experience with the Fae's aren't what you would call… pleasant. So, I don't really know what she would have for the three of you." He briefly glanced back before he turned back to keep an eye out, "I'm not quite the best person to ask this, but I'd wager she has some weapon to replace Caliburn."

"It's quite possible." Lancelot spoke up behind them, "The Fae are capable of granting powerful weapons and armors to those they deem worthy of them. If the Lady of the Lake truly wishes to aid the King with gifts to help us in our campaign, then they are likely weapons of sorts."

Gawain hummed in thought, "It could be due to what Morgan did with Caliburn."

"And there's no telling what's going on up north with all the disappearing people." Naruto said, "So as far as weapons go… then yeah, I agree with you."

As they continued on through to their destination, a bright purple light emanated from within the forest signifying that they were close to the lake where Vivian resided within. Pushing through the trees, they emerged to see a deep lake where the animals were at about in this serene place. It was as if everything was at peace, without a care in the world. The knights dismounted their horses as they tied them off to a tree trunk while Naruto was the first to approach the lake.

Naruto bent down to touch the water, only to feel the lake was filled with… joy? Happiness? He thought that perhaps his gut was telling him to dive right in an relax here, but he knew this was merely part of the power of some Fae's; their presence was capable of bringing our emotions in people.

Arturia, Lancelot and Gawain approached behind him with the lake suddenly springing to life. Water rushed to the edge where Naruto stood in front of, as the form of a woman standing up took shape in the water.

Her body was composed entirely of water that both moved yet remained in situ, flowing over the form of what was clearly a woman of short height. Long waves of transparent water cascaded from the top of her head like a waterfall down her back, serving as hair. Her feet, no, her entire lower body was obscured by an aquatic dress that was formed from the lake beneath her. Although poorly defined, her facial features were those of a beautiful woman, her eyes appearing to be moonlight that was endlessly refracted within the water's surface.

_'It looks like this Vivian manifested herself with the water. She's still in her domain.' _Naruto thought to himself before he moved to Arturia's side when she asked the construct a question.

"Are you the Lady of the Lake?"

The construct smiled as she nodded in response before moving back from the shoreline. The construct waved her hands as the water with bright lights springing to life in the form of a path leading towards her; she gestured for them to come towards her. Naruto wasn't quite sure about this, that is until Arturia took a step forward onto the water… and did not sink into it.

Arturia gazed down to see that the Fae's magic no doubt kept them from sinking to the bottom, "Amazing…" turning back to her retainers, she waved for them to follow her, "…it is safe. The magic has made the water safe for us to walk upon. Stay on the path." The knights and vampire looked to one another before nodding at their King's words and did as such.

Lancelot could tell that Naruto was tense with stepping into the domain of the Fae. Naruto's prior experience with their kind was not very favorable compared to his own, so his unease was understandable, "Have faith. If the Lady of the Lake wishes to aid us, then she shall bring no harm."

Naruto nodded as he took a leap of faith, "Alright then." Naruto now stood behind Arturia ready for her protection if she needed, even if Lancelot said otherwise.

Soon the light that illuminated the water increased in its brightness as it grew so bright that they were all forced to shield themselves from the light. The glow died down soon afterwards as they looked around to see that their surroundings had changed. While the lake was still the same, the sky had changed into a bright purple that had what appeared to be stars that dotted the sky, as numerous phantasmal animals flew through the air or rested upon the ground.

They were in Vivian's domain now.

Said woman now took a physical form where the water construct once stood. She was short, cub five feet at the most with floor-length blue and white hair. '_No_' Naruto thought, his keen senses picking out that it was not the case. '_That hair isn't white, it's clear, reflecting the moonlight off of the surface of the water._' Though the hair still flowed in a style similar to a raging waterfall, it was now still. Her features now thrown into sharp relief showed pale skin that glowed with an inner residence of spiritual bliss, eyes the same as before but adorned with long clear eyelashes and no eyebrows. A small but well-defined nose sat above blue lips set in a serene smile. From beneath the wave of hair, he could just make out a pair of pointed ears. The obviously now corporeal Fae wore a simple white gown from head to toe with no frivolities or fancy designs, leaving her arms uncovered and feet sticking out from beneath. Said feet stood upon the water with no ripple, as if her presence was not disturbing the water at all.

"Greetings, Arturia Pendragon. It is a blessing to have you as well as your two most trusted knights alongside thee." She greeted them before she directed her attention towards Naruto, "And I greet you as well, brother of mine, sired under the Crimson Moon, I bid you good tidings upon finally meeting thee."

Naruto was taken aback by her words, as he fully expected someone that practically oozed goodness to altogether reject him on the basis of him being a Dead Apostle. But then again, he recalled Merlin's lesson on the Fae, and how he was considered to be a Lesser Fae by the World itself. So, for Vivian to address him in such a manner shouldn't come as a surprise, yet he still was surprised either way.

Vivian looked Lancelot first as she conjured up a brightly colored sword with a purple handle, "Knight of the Lake, please step forward." Arturia and Naruto sidestepped to allow Lancelot to step forward as Vivian held it out for him to grasp the sword, "This is Arondight, the Unfading Light of the Lake. A sword incapable of being destroyed by any means. It shines as bright as the lake; a sword to signify thou's skill as the 'perfect knight'."

A sheath appeared that Lancelot took to the weapon as he bowed to Vivian, "Thank you, milady. I shall use this sword in the service to my King." Taking his position back next to Gawain, Naruto couldn't help but feel the power rolling off the blade, despite being contained by the sheath. Arondight as a blade that was not to be trifled with.

The Fae looked to Gawain as she conjured up a silver sword that oddly shaped compared to Arondight, "Knight of the Sun, please step forward." Gawain did as he was asked with the others sidestepping for him to stand to receive his sword, "This is Galatine, the Sword of Revolving Victory. A sword with a pseudo-sun contained within the hilt; a sword that will aid thee in the time when thine blessing is at its peak." A sheath appeared before him to grasp

Gawain bowed his head in thanks, "I thank you, Lady of the Lake. I shall use your gift to its fullest for my King." Gawain took his position back next to Lancelot as Naruto could feel a slight tinge of heat emanating from Galatin's hilt. She clearly wasn't wrong about the pseudo-sun in the hilt based upon that.

It seemed that the final gift was conjured up before them, as a golden sheath with blue markings and Fae letters appeared before Arturia. However, it appeared that this was, but two gifts as opposed to one. A sword with a golden guard and blue grip was already inside of it, "Proud King of Knights… Arturia Pendragon. This is the greatest gift that I; that the World can offer thee. Step forward, please." Arturia took a step to face the Fae as she held out for her to grasp the sheath & sword. Naruto could feel that this sword was by far the most powerful one he had seen in his entire life. Arondight… Galatine… even the Seven Swords of the Mist didn't also come close to what Naruto was feeling already, and that was just the with the sheath holding the sword's power back.

"The sheath's name is Avalon; named after the Everdistant Utopia." Vivian began to explain, "Its properties will halt thou's aging. Any wound no matter how grievous will instantly heal. And if you desire it, then the sheath shall become a barrier to shut out all filth that would dare stain your magnificence. So long as Avalon remains at your side, you need not fear even death herself."

Everyone was shocked by what Vivian had stated about just the sheath itself… and if Naruto interpreted what she said correctly, then Arturia… was incapable of dying. Just as he was…

Although it seemed that Vivian was not finished. For she had but to explain the last gift: the sword, "Arturia, draw forth the sword." Arturia did as instructed, and upon doing so, they were awed by the blade. That golden glow that was so superb. So peaceful and comforting. The sword held a warmth that reminded Naruto of his time before he arrived in this world… in a time when he was still in training under Jiraiya… a time when he enjoyed Ichiraku Ramen after a mission with his teammates... when he first met his father, and later his mother… Just standing before it brought a tear to his eye, "Its name, is Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory…" Vivian began, "…it is the crystallization of the wishes & hopes of mankind stored and tempered within the planet. We Fae's have guarded it closely, so that one day, one worthy to wield it would emerge to defend the people. Its true power will emerge on the day an enemy emerges that will threaten the World." Arturia's jaw could only drop slightly before she recomposed herself as everyone was in shock before Vivian continued, "This sword will be thou's ultimate offence, and thine's symbol of kingship, young Arturia."

Naruto fully understood what Vivan had given to Arturia. The ultimate offense alongside the ultimate defense. She would be unstoppable. Arturia sheathed Excalibur back into Avalon as she took it from the Fae before bowing, "T-Thank you, I am… unsure if my words will be enough to thank thee for the gifts we have received, o' Lady of the Lake."

Vivian placed her hand on Arturia's forehead before she channeled her Mana into the King. Naruto did not sense anything terrible about what was being done, "The power over the element of Water is now part of you, just as the element of Wind is. No body of water will impede you from traversing it, and it shall become thou's weapon in a burst from one's own body or feet." Once again, Arturia was without words for the Fae's gifts. All she could do was bow in thanks to her.

Vivian raised her hand as the light around them began to glow brighter just as before they entered her domain, "I pray these gifts will aid you in the coming days, for thou shalt be in great need of them." She looked to Arturia before speaking once again, "I apologize young one, but I must speak with the Knight of Sky Silver in private, for there is something that he must know of."

Arturia wasn't sure what exactly the Lady of the Lake wished to speak with Naruto, but if she deemed it for his ears only, then she would not speak out of turn, "I understand, milady."

Naruto wasn't exactly sure what to make of that, _'I wonder how important it is that she wants to tell me?'_

**_'Who knows? For all you know it could be she just merely wants to know how you're a Fae, when clearly, you're not. Despite addressing you as otherwise.'_ **Kurama reasoned.

The light blinded them once again before Naruto found himself alone with Vivian who began their little private talk, "There is something you must know, brother. It concerns young Arturia." Naruto stiffened with her warning tone, now on edge by what she had to say.

"What do you mean?"

"She is the linchpin that binds the Mystery & Magic of the Age of Fairies." Vivian stated, "So long as that child lives, so too shall this age. If she dies, then we will begin to fade away as the Age of Man begins. Magic & Mystery will begin to wane, the beings that walk these lands will fade into obscurity, and we will become nothing more than myths, forced to return to the Reverse Side if the World."

Naruto understood just how heavy her words were. Arturia was the real source of basically all that was good in this world, with how things functioned, how the people and the Phantasmal Species lived amongst one another. If she died… "I won't let that happen, no matter what." There was no way in hell he would let Arturia die, he had committed his life for her, and Naruto'd be damned if he let anything happen to her on his watch.

The Fae smiled at his words, "I know you will not. I can see that you hold great love for her." Naruto blushed at the statement. He was about to downplay it; however, Vivian raised her hand to stop him in his tracks, "I can see that you wish to express it for her, but you are hesitant to do so. You view yourself in the same light as that of Morgan, but you are wrong. You possess a light as bright as the sun, a warmth that comforts, humility that others do not have within and your love for her is unwavering. You place so little value on yourself when you do not realize just how much you mean to her, and her to you."

Naruto was floored by her words… Arturia… felt the same way? No, that wasn't possible. He was a vampire, a Fae in Vivian's words, someone that could never have a chance with a regular human being. But he had no choice but to admit to part of what she said, "It's true… I do love her… but, how things between her and me, I just… I don't know how that could work." He shook his head before he steeled his resolve before the Fae, "But I do know this: I'd give my life for hers in a heartbeat." That was also true. Naruto had come to love Arturia from afar, even if he could openly say it or show it, he would still show his devotion to his King as her retainer and friend.

Vivian merely closed her eyes as she gave a comforting smile, "One day, both of you shall see clearly where your paths converge." The Fae held out her hands for Naruto to take them, "Please step forward, Knight of Sky Silver. For I have but one last gift for thee." Naruto did as he was asked; she took his hands gently before she channeled some of what he assumed to be her Mana into him. As soon as the process was over, Naruto looked to his palms as but for a brief moment… he could've sworn he saw the symbol of the where it once was when Hagoromo gave him half of his power to defeat Madara and seal Kaguya. Naruto became confused by what Vivian had done to him, "This gift was not of the physical that I had bestowed upon the King and her trusted knights, but one of the spiritual. I could feel that you lacked something within, but the World was denying it to you, therefore, I have bestowed but a small piece of mine own unto you to awaken it. One day, when an enemy that threatens the World, your power shall return to thee. I pray that such a thing will not be necessary, but it is best to be prepared."

As the Fae finished speaking, she raised her hands as the light surrounding Naruto illuminated once again to send him back to the Material World. Naruto found himself back on the lake standing where they were in the Fae's domain, he turned around to see the others already readying their mounts to head back to the castle, "Naruto, are you alright?" Arturia spoke as she held Dun's reigns while atop Llamrei.

The words of the Lady of the Lake reverberated through his mind concerning Arturia's importance, and his own feelings towards her. He shook his head as he concentrated on the here and now with protecting her, "I'm alright, my King. No need to worry about me." Arturia didn't look convinced; however, she had come to accept that sometimes it was all she could do with Naruto at times, as she did not want to impede upon his privacy. Not just that, whatever it was that the Lady of the Lake had told him was something that she deemed for his ears alone; not hers, nor Gawain nor Lancelot's. She decided to leave the subject alone, "Very well then. Let us set out to regroup at the castle."

Arturia handed Dun's reigns over to Naruto who mounted the stallion, with a bit of renewed fervor in his words, "Let's ride!"

* * *

-Two Hours Later-

The ride back to Castle Guinnion was a rather slow one oddly enough. Perhaps it was because they now held swords gifted to them by the Fae, that the Phantasmal Species that would emerge in the night kept their distance, or perhaps it was because dawn was now on the horizon. Either way, it would take time to get back to the castle; they would likely make a rest stop at the City of Legion between here and Guinnion. The city was on the border of the contested lands where it was also a Pendragon loyal settlement that supplied them with food and water, along with housing soldiers if they required it from days of scouting or moving between settlements.

Naruto had begun to wonder just what it was that Vivian had done to him, _'Kurama, do you know what she did to me?'_

_**'I'm not quite sure honestly. But it feels like something that was cut away was partially restored. All I can say is that maybe a tinge of your old power returned to you. But I'm still a damned chibi!'**_

_'Huh, that's weird. I don't feel any different, though maybe it's only conditional.'_

**_'That's possible. The circumstances for her so-called gift to activate could be pretty slim. She did say only when an enemy that threatened the planet would allow you to access it fully. And I doubt that bitch Fae has the power to do that.'_**

_'Hmm… let's hope it doesn't come to that.'_

Naruto was roused from his mental conversation as Dun stopped along with the rest of the horses as the sun had arisen over a grizzly sight. A large pile of corpses, with the emblem of Vortigern adorning their armor from what he could tell; however, he could also make out one or two Pendragon emblems. They were likely the scouts they had sent out to observe the contested lands.

"What manner of beast is responsible for this?" Arturia said through heated words. She did not believe in such blood slaughter like this, not even the foreigners could stoop so low to butcher soldiers in battle…

**"That would be I, little one."** A booming voice spoke. They gazed up to the top of the pile where well… they saw the source…

Now… Naruto had met some tall people in his life, such as his former mentor Jiraiya who was unusually tall for a ninja at 6'3", and while exploring this vast world, Naruto had once crossed paths with a berserker from the Balkans who had neared eight feet in height. But this man, no, man did not convey his size. This GIANT was nearing seventeen feet tall with a body that would not be out of place in a children's fairy tale, each of his legs was as wide as Naruto's forearms were long and his arms looked like they were incapable of movement. Not because the muscles would not allow it but the thought of a humanoid being able to do such a thing while at that size was... ludicrous! His face was both bestial and serene with glowing green and yellow eyes set into deep cavernous pits above an ape's nose. Pointed ears poked from a mass of thick, furlike dark blonde hair that covered the giant's face leading to a long beard.

His entire body was wrapped in the thickest set of armor that Naruto had ever seen. Rather than the traditional steel, it looked like pig iron, at least seven inches thick at the breastplate. Armor covered his entire body save his head, all of it decked out in metallic golden pain that bore many pits, chips and cracks from numerous battles. In his right hand, a hand that was half the size of a wagon wheel sat a gold and steel axe of beautiful artistry.

Overall… the Giant was an imposing bastard.

The Giant hefted the axe over his shoulder as he spoke again, **"My name is Escanor, a Giant of these lands. I slaughtered these men, for they believed that they held power over me."** He made his way down towards them as he stepped on the corpses, smearing blood with each of his heavy footsteps, **"They believed that their tyrant of a king, a human of all beings, could reign over me. My pride simply cannot allow that, nor shall I be ruled over by you, King Arthur."** Arturia's eyes narrowed as she dismounted Llamrei, while Lancelot and Gawain dismounted their own horses as they drew forth their blades to protect their king. Naruto formed three Shadow Clones as he positioned himself atop his saddle on Dun to spring into action, **"Yes, I know of your name and deeds, o' King of Knights. But I do not trust humans, nor the Dead Apostles even if on serves you to say otherwise."** Escanor leveled his axe to Arturia before he raised it high into the air to begin the inevitable battle, **"Now, stand still, so I may strike you down."**

Escanor didn't get the chance to swing the axe as before their eyes, a black & golden blur appeared before them as it swung a blade of wind onto his right shoulder, coupled with blood spurting into the air, "Like hell we're gonna let that happen!"

The knight's eyes widened as Naruto stood before them in some ethereal golden flames that covered his body. The metal plates had turned black while the rest of his attire was golden, with the symbol of the Crimson Moon on his back. Carnwennan was filled with Wind Mana, giving off a high-pitched whirring sound, like metal blades moving at high speeds.

"Naruto…" Arturia was speechless before his new form. Nether Lancelot nor Gawain could say anything at the sight before them.

Naruto had no idea how, but suddenly, his Six Paths power came back to him. However, he tried to form Goudodama, only to find that the Counter Force was stopping him from going any further and his Shadow Clones suddenly dispersed, most likely to limit his power. Maybe somehow when Escanor made his threat, Vivian's gift kicked in, but Naruto had no idea how long it would last with the World now watching him.

Escanor didn't show any signs of pain as he patted the area where Naruto slashed at him, **"I am impressed. Your elated state has allowed you to inflict a wound that I could feel. Not once has anyone managed to do so, and for that, you have my respect. But my pride will not allow you to live any longer."** Escanor used his free hand to punch Naruto away, that is until Arturia got over her shock quickly before she leapt into action to come to his aid. She quickly unsheathed Excalibur to swing down upon his arm, only to see that fire emerged from his fist.

"What?!" Arturia didn't feel the heat from the fist until she got close enough before Naruto quickly turned around to grab Arturia to safety. Escanor's fist slammed into the ground where a smoldering crater now appeared in front of him. Lancelot began to sweat due to the heat emanating from the hole, although he noticed Gawain didn't seem bothered by the heat, "Gawain, this enemy… is unlike any other we've faced before."

Gawain nodded in agreement, "Indeed. We should count ourselves lucky, the gifts of the Lade of the Lake will no doubt help turn the tide." For some reason, he couldn't describe what he was feeling, but perhaps it was… resonance with Escanor. Not just that, but as he drew Galatine, Gawain could feel the handle of the sword shake in what he thought was excitement. Did Escanor also possess some sort of Divine Blessing as he did when the sun arose?

Naruto looked back to Escanor as he didn't appear irritated, nor angry, but surprised he was. Arturia took in Naruto's appearance as his golden glow shined so similarly to Excalibur. Although there was a significant difference: nature itself was beginning to flourish. The trees quickly grew new limbs and leaves, while flowers bloomed in full, "My king…" Naruto addressed Arturia to grab her attention, "…I don't know what the hell's up with this Giant, but he's got some sort of power over fire. It's dangerous. I'll try to draw out his powers for you and the others to strike when it's time." Naruto helped her up as he drew Carnwennan back out to begin the battle.

Naruto rushed into Escanor's safety area where he would try to see just what exactly his power was, _'If he says his pride won't allow him to be ruled by a human king or a vampire that can wound him. Then maybe…'_

He'd have to coax the source of his power out, "So…" Naruto lashed out with a strike to Escanor's head that prompted the Giant to quickly bring up his massive axe to defend himself, "…what's makes you so confident that you can kill us?"

Escanor parried the strike before he swung his axe below to try and chop off Naruto's legs, **"I was born with the power of the sun, for it is the source of my pride."** Naruto leapt into the air behind the Giant to strike at his back, only to see that his speed was not a joke. He twisted around with the axe to strike at his head, only for Naruto to quickly maneuver his head down to the side to avoid the strike while Arturia saw the opportunity to strike at Escanor's back.

She rushed with Excalibur ready to inflict a blow to his spine, or at least force Escanor down onto one knee. But the Giant seemed to sense her attack incoming as he continued swinging his axe around to inflict a blow. Arturia brought Excalibur up to intercept the axe, with the two weapons clashing against one another, creating a resounding boom that actually left a chip in Escanor's axe, while Arturia was pushed back several feet only for Lancelot to help keep her footing, "Thank you, Sir Lancelot."

"No need for thanks, my king," Lancelot replied as he kept Arondight up at the ready. Gawain went in next to deliver a strike while Naruto distracted Escanor again, with the ninja's golden form beginning to dissipate as he gave a kick to the Giant's face that managed to stagger him briefly. Before Gawain brought Galatine into an upwards slash that managed to pierce Escanor's armor, despite the heat that emanated from his body.

Naruto quickly leapt away, seeing that his Six Paths power was done for now as the Counter Force began to encroach upon him. Naruto breathed in heavily as he took a knee to gather his breath, "So… he's got the power of the sun…" He glanced to his hand that was shaking from the Six Paths having not been used in over a century since his battle with the Crimson Moon. The toll it took on his body was beginning to show with Arturia rushing over to his side while Lancelot stood with Gawain to fend off Escanor while she took Naruto from the battlefield.

Arturia hefted Naruto's shoulder onto hers while the ninja kept pace with her, as he spoke, "My king. Escanor he… he has a Divine Blessing while under the Sun, like Gawain…" Arturia set him up against a nearby tree to recover as he continued speaking, "…he can kill the Giant." Arturia nodded as she understood his words while she glanced back to see Lancelot holding his own with Gawain while Escanor swung his axe through the air as it unleashed waves that would have blown anyone else away bar them for the relics in their possession.

"Naruto, rest easy." She placed her free hand on Naruto's forehead, "We will emerge victorious from this." Arturia stood up as she joined the battle as Lancelot was forcibly driven back while Gawain was attempting to hold down a blow that would kill him with Galatine, "Gawain!"

"My king?!"

"Escanor possess Divine Blessing while under the Sun, just as you!" The knight's eyes widened at this revelation, "You can defeat him with your own!"

It seemed that this declaration prompted Escanor to hold back on his last strike as he allowed Gawain some breathing room, **"You too possess the power of the sun? Hmm… very well then, I shall strike you down first before I do so with the others."** Escanor leveled the axe towards Gawain with something in mind, **"I shall face you one-on-one in a duel to the death, young knight. Do you accept?"**

Gawain could see that the Giant was offering him this chance to ensure that his king, fellow knight and magus could escape. But they would not; instead, he was presented with an opportunity to strike down this murderous, proud Giant that claimed he would kill his aunt. Seeing this as the only chance to settle things, Gawain nodded, "I accept your offer to a duel."

Escanor took several steps back as both combatants circled one another briefly before settling into their stance, **"I believe that one blow will be more than enough to decide this duel's outcome, young knight."**

Escanor raised his axe high into the air as the heat began to build up, with fire surrounding the edge of the axe. Arturia and Lancelot moved back away to cover Naruto as he slowly stood up to regain his bearings before he entered the Six Paths to attack Escanor. Gawain readied Galatine as he felt the power within the blade begin to slowly build up, but it was not enough to inflict a single fatal blow on the Giant. No, he needed to do better; he knew that he had Mana within him in due part to his… mother… he had believed that he would not need that side of him to be victorious in battle, merely his own physical skill. But now… now he needed to use that side of his heritage to prevail in battle if he didn't…

Gawain steeled himself as he began to channel his Mana into Galatine, with the heat rising rapidly to equal Escanor's axe. The grass and trees around them began to singe. The onlookers backed away, seeing that this blow could very likely take them into it. Gawain narrowed his eyes as he stared into Escanor's unflinching green and yellow.

This strike would be their first & last.

**"Come."**

The Giant made his declaration for him to come at him with Galatine. Gawain charged with his blade ready to strike as Escanor stood his ground. The heat from their weapons seared the earth with fire like a meteor streaking across the land.

"RRRAAGGHH!" Gawain roared as he brought Galatine down in a horizontal strike, just as Escanor brought his axe down to strike at Gawain…

Both combatants were frozen in time, before blood spewed from Escanor as he dropped down to a knee, letting go of the axe, **"To think, that a human who too held the power of the sun could fell me in battle. Heh… it seems that my pride got the better of me."** Escanor still had the strength to look up to his opponent before speaking again, **"Your name is Gawain, was it not young knight?"**

Gawain nodded as he held Galatine that began to cool down, "Yes. I am Sir Gawain, the Knight of the Sun. And I serve my king, King Arthur, with all my being."

Escanor nodded in acceptance of Gawain's answer, **"Then I am glad, to have fallen on your blade, Sir Gawain, Knight of the Sun."** Soon after, Escanor collapsed and died from his wounds, as Gawain jammed Galatine into the ground to take a knee after expending so much of himself to defeat the Giant.

Lancelot sheathed Arondight to go help his fellow knight while Arturia stayed next to Naruto in case he collapsed. The Knight of the Lake stepped through the seared ground to help Gawain up to his feet, "Are you alright, Gawain?"

The Knight of the Sun looked up to his comrade, "I just needed a moment to collect myself." Gawain slowly stood up as he sheathed Galatine, "I am glad though that we had the Lady of the Lake's swords to aid us. Otherwise, I doubt we could prevail, even with our court magus apprentice." Seeing how quickly he tired himself out against the Giant, Gawain wasn't too keen on their odds.

Lancelot glanced back to see Arturia helping Naruto climb up to Dun. Seeing that this little incident pushed them off schedule since they were expected to be back by now, Lancelot believed that for now, they needed to rest before they regrouped back to the castle. The two knights headed back to their steeds as Lancelot began to talk with Arturia. "My king, given the unexpected run-in with the Giant, along with our current condition, it may be wise to stop at the City of Legion to rest for the time being while we send word to Castle Guinnion of our current status, given we were expected to return in the morning."

Arturia could see the logic in Lancelot's reason; Gawain no doubt was exhausted from using Galatine for the first time, especially having to tap into his Mana that he never once used before until now. And she had questions about how he knew about the divinity he spoke of, as well as that golden shroud Naruto donned when he sprung into action against Escanor, "Very well then. Then we shall set off to Legion."

* * *

-Hours Later-

The City of Legion was a major trading point for those under Arturia's protection, and with said significant trade occurring, it required a large contingent of city guards to enforce the laws. They were greeted by the lord in charge of the city, who offered them lodging in his manor for the king and 'his' retainers.

Lancelot and Gawain went out to inspect the fortifications of the city if it came under attack, given how close it was to the Contested Lands, a strike from the north was something to consider heavily.

Naruto had forgone his armor plating as he lay on the bed in one of the guest rooms. The sensation of the Six Paths flooding his system, before the Counter Force reacted to his powering up to snuff it out took a bit of a toll on his body. He could still fight if it came down to it, along with his Magecraft and a few Jutsu, but he wouldn't be able to use his Shadow Clones like he usually could.

He closed his eyes as breathed in & out steadily to calm his mind. Naruto heard the door open prompting him to open his eyes to see that it was Arturia in fact; she carried with her a tray with some fruit and a glass of water meant for him as she turned to the ninja, "I know it's not much, but I hope this will help you regain your strength."

"No, it's fine…" Naruto said as he rose up to face her, "…I appreciate it. But you didn't have to do this."

Arturia shook her head, "Of course I had to. You are my retainer, and as such, your safety and health are paramount to my concern." She wagged a finger at him as she sat down next to him, like a mother chastising their child for not listening to them. Naruto flinched a bit before he nodded in acceptance at her words.

Naruto began to take the assorted fruits and munch on them as Arturia smiled at him, enjoying the flavors that entered his mouth. However, she also came for another reason…

"Naruto…" Her words causing him to finish chewing and swallow what he had as she continued, "…how did you know that Gawain possessed a Divine Blessing, along with how it could counter Escanor's own? Not just that, but that golden shroud you donned. How is it that you have never used it up until now?"

Naruto knew the weight of her words. The past always caught up, no matter how hard you try to bury it…

Naruto took the tray from Arturia as he set it down on the dresser near the bed. He took a deep breath before he looked back to Arturia, "My king… you've known me for three long years, and you have kept your distance in regards to my past. But the last few serious talks that we've had like this, you gradually know more and more about me, yet you don't know the full story." He took her right hand with his left and clasped it to reassure her that he would no longer hide it, "I think now, it's time you know my story…"

* * *

-Morgan le Fay's Lair-

"Well, that could have gone better."

"Perhaps…"

Morgan had watched the little fight against the Giant through her Scrying Orb. After stealing Caliburn, she wanted to watch her sister cry over the loss of her sword for entertainment, that is until she saw the envoy from Vivian…

That wretched woman…

Morgan managed to get that oaf Escanor to kill a battalion of Vortigern's men along with a few scouts from her sister to test just how powerful these new swords were. She could already see that her son Gawain was given something to aid in his Divine Blessing or even boost it entirely at times. That Frankish knight as given a sword that could never be destroyed by any means and would radiate Vivian's lake light.

But then when she saw what her sister had… of all the things she was given… Morgan narrowed her eyes as she knew just what Vivian had given to her little sister. The ultimate sword and the ultimate source of Mana. She would need to find a way to separate the two of them from Arturia… however, there was also that golden shroud that Naruto donned. When she witnessed it affect the land itself, she was all too curious about the vampire now. No now she saw Naruto for what he was.

The only Divine Dead Apostle in history, and most likely the only one that would ever exist now & forever.

It was settled. His blood would be useful in crafting her weapon. All she needed to do was be patient, play along with Vortigern's plan to hold the north and wait for her moment to strike.

"Dear little sister, your luck will run out…" Morgan spoke more to herself than the other occupant in the room, "…and when it does, I will be there to steal what was yours to craft into mine." She idly tossed Caliburn between her hands, before she gripped both ends of the sword to channel her Blackening magic into the blade. The sword began to twist and bend as the black Mana channeled through it until it snapped in two. Morgan tossed the two pieces of Caliburn to her accomplice in the shadows before speaking, "Bury it wherever you want to, Agravain. I don't care how or where."

The now revealed Agravain nodded his head, "I understand, mother."

The young man left, leaving Morgan alone with her thoughts, "At least I have one child that is of use to me."

* * *

-The City of Legion; Naruto's Room-

"…and then, I met you on that day. The rest you know." Naruto finished. The evening had come, as Arturia wanted to remain with Naruto having asked Lancelot and Gawain to help the city guard in upping their routine and security. It was merely an excuse to stay with Naruto as he told her his story.

She was too shocked to interrupt him. Tailed Beasts. Chakra. Hidden Villages. Akatsuki. It was all so unbelievable, yet… she knew that there were no lies in his words. All this time… Naruto had been clinging onto whatever piece of light remained that he could grasp, holding onto it for dear life. His service to her, was that last bit. His dream to become Hokage was robbed by Sasuke betraying them all in the final minute after finally defeating their dark & terrible ancestor. He wished to help her uphold her dreams and ideal. Arturia finally understood Naruto, so much more than anyone else did. They had far more in common than she initially believed.

For whatever instinct within her, telling her to stay composed… all she could do was throw her arms around his neck as she enveloped him in a hug as a pair of tears streamed down her eyes, "You are so strong, Naruto."

Naruto, for all his preparation in expecting the unknown along with being unpredictable, "My king?" He was unprepared for what Arturia had to say or do in situations like this.

Arturia wiped her tears, "You are strong-willed, Naruto. To push yourself through so many situations, to make choices that… even I could not make… to endure tragedy that no one should… it would break anyone." Her admiration for Naruto skyrocketed. Her words alone were not enough to honestly describe what a beautiful soul he held.

Naruto shook his head at her last statement, "I'm not worthy of that praise. Truth be told after I became a vampire, and before I met you." He swallowed hard before he continued, showcasing thoughts that he never would have thought, "I… I had contemplated ways to… to… to just end it all…" He saw that Arturia was shocked by what he just said, but he smiled before she could say anything, "But on that day when I met you, I found someone to live for. I found a new drive, a new dream, but also…" Vivian's words came back to mind as he decided to take a leap of faith here and now, "…I fell in love with you."

There he did it. He dropped it all right on top of her. He closed his eyes believing that she would slap him for saying that he contemplated suicide, or even saying he was in love with her; calling such things foolish and childish.

No, what happened next was utterly unexpected. Naruto saw that she was blushing and not even bothering to fight it down.

Whatever common sense they had, whatever instinct told them otherwise, they ignored it.

They closed their eyes as they brought their lips close to one another as they sealed their love for one another with a kiss. A kiss that became deepened with passion. A passion born from love. Love built over the years of conversing & fighting alongside one another. Their tongues clashed for dominance over one another, but neither cared who would gain it.

They continued kissing for several minutes until they needed to breathe. A thin trail of saliva remained between their lips until it dropped as neither of them bothered to wipe it away. Their cheeks were flushed a deep crimson as they both took deep breaths before Arturia spoke, "Whatever this is, I… I want this to continue between us." And so, the King of Knights reciprocated Naruto's words through not just their act of a kiss, "Naruto… I love you." But through her words as well…

Naruto brought his forehead to Arturia's own as he cried not tears of sadness, but tears of joy, "This… it's the happiest, I've ever been in my entire life." Arturia wiped away his tears as they enjoyed the comfort of one another right now.

The ninja decided to try and bring some humor to their newly made secret affair, "You know, Arturia. If you want me to train you in the way of Eastern Swordplay, and all of what I know about combat, I can if you'd like it to be private." Arturia laughed a little at his offer.

"I would like that, but for now…" She caressed his cheeks, "…all I want to do is enjoy this." And thus, their passionate kissing began again.

_**'About goddamn time!'**_ Kurama exclaimed.

Naruto ignored the fox as he concentrated on the kissing as he held Arturia by the waist to bring her closer while she still held his cheeks.

Unknown to them, the door was cracked ever so slightly as Lancelot saw the whole ordeal. He felt it was best to leave them alone and keep Gawain along with everyone else from interfering with their time together. Smiling at how his king and friend found happiness in secret, Lancelot left the hallway, all the while deciding that he would do whatever it took to keep their affair a secret, even taking it with him to his grave.

* * *

_Musings of a Wizard Marshal_

_By K.Z.S._

_You know it's not that often that I find myself actually writing something down beyond journals detailing some of my escapades between dimensions but I find they help in... taking inventory. My perception of passing time is so messed up at this point that I feel only my fellow Magician Miss Aozaki may even begin to comprehend it but here I am, writing about a friend of mine._

_I think of Naruto as my friend not because he was there for me not long after the encounter with Crimson Moon -damn that crimson baseball!- but because despite the long time he has walked the earth he has somehow maintained a hobby that is neither self destructive nor boring as all hell. All ancestors have hobbies, mine is observing Parallel Worlds and occasionally meddling in worldly affairs. Roa's is attempting to attain perfect immortality and that confounded friend of mine, Alcatraz is fond of constructing his little Labyrinths...ONE OF WHICH HE GOT LOCKED INSIDE HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!_

_Naruto's hobby is collecting relics from Arthurian times to add to his own collection for a variety of reasons. Part of it could be the obvious reason of using them as catalysts for the Holy Grail War but seeing as this hobby started some centuries prior to my students even being born I find that avenue a little hard to believe. No, I think the reason why Naruto chooses to look upon those relics and hold them close is as a reminder of what could have been and hopefully, an inspiration for what he yet aims to achieve.._

* * *

**And done!**

**Wow, what a doozy… I was writing this chapter when I cam down with strep throat and there was a battle that I had planned out against Vortigern's forces, however I decided to have them finally do battle against his forces in the next chapter which will finish up the "Rise of Camelot" section and move into the "Glory of Camelot" section of the overall Camelot arc that's been planned out.**

**And now, Gawain has Galatine, Lancelot has Arondight, Tristan, Palamedes and Percival have joined, and Arturia now has Excalibur & Avalon along with a Vivian's blessing to be able to walk on water and even use her Swimsuit's Water Mana Burst ability. Naruto & Arturia have finally entered into their secret love affair, she now knows his story and even will be trained by him in combat by what he knows and has experienced.**

**Morgan continues to screw with their lives while she keeps waiting for the opportune moment to begin her plans of downfall.**

**The next chapter will begin their final battles in the campaign to unite Britain under Arturia's banner, as it delves into some Dark Fantasy and Arthurian Legend, as well as TYPE-MOON's own Arthurian Legend with introducing some new things from the lore. I'll also be showing off their swords true powers and abilities, with being able to train and understand their swords far better than before when they received them to ensure that they will be able to take the north.**

**Now, some of you will claim that their kiss was rushed but know this –**

**It's been three full years since Naruto & Arturia met.**

**That's ample time for them to bond over and become closer as a result, especially the last chapter with Naruto's emotional breakdown.**

**Now some of you will claim that Naruto telling Arturia that he had thought about suicide isn't something he'd do. Well let me just say this: Naruto banked everything on being able to bring Sasuke back over to the village. When Sasuke betrayed him, forced him out from their dimension and effectively destroyed Naruto's dreams and beliefs, stranding him in a world not his own and then becoming immortal with no goal or anyone to commit himself to, I think ending one's life would be something that deep down… he actually would consider…**

**That's just me though.**

**Anyways, continue to read, review, favorite and follow this story, as well as the others on my profile.**

**And please, when you review, let me know what you guys liked and/or disliked about the new chapter, otherwise I can't better myself when it comes to writing future content.**

**Until next time ;)**


	7. Chapter 6: The Rise of Camelot Part VI

**We broke the 200-review mark and within only 5 chapters! WOOHOO! Let's see how many we can get within the next chapter! I wonder if maybe this chapter will get 300 once it's had time for people to read it?**

**And so, we come to the final part of the "Rise" section of the Camelot arc. Here is where the final battles for Britain will take place, and we move into the 2nd section called "The Glory of Camelot". That section will be followed by the 3rd part "The Fall of Camelot" and the aftermath being "The Ashes of Camelot", thus wrapping up the first Act of the story and moving towards the next Act.**

**Act I: The Legend of Camelot (Prologue + 11 chapters)**

**Act II: Through the Ages (8 chapters)**

**Act III: Fate/Zero (23 chapters)**

**These are all of the chapters that I'm willing to divulge to you guys at the moment.**

**There will be more going beyond Zero, but I won't say, as I'd rather keep it a nice surprise for you guys as I'm sure it'll be one hell'a treat ;)**

**I've finally managed to sit down and listen to the Garden of Avalon soundtrack and it's so damn beautiful, I may wind up going back through some of the previous chapters and posting up points to where certain tracks fit certain scenes in the story during the Camelot Act.**

**Also, I'll continue to ensure people know that I've posted up a NarutoxFate/stay night challenge up that's divided into 2 parts, with Naruto in the events of the UBW route with some Fate route elements (I may add a Heaven's Feel route option that also has Fate route elements) and following into Apocrypha. And if you would like to take up the challenge, or know someone that would do so, drop by it and take a look at the details. Either leave a review on it, or PM me to talk more on it.**

**Now, onto some reviews that I was unable to respond or get around to PM'ing –**

**victorian12345**** – Well, like I said before. Things don't have to be factual when telling a story on this site. It's simply fanfiction, if I were being factual then this story would be very different. Though thank you regardless, as I'm glad that you're enjoying the story :)**

**Reader**** – Sorry but that's not how Caliburn functions. It was merely meant as the sword to be pulled from the stone to choose the one who held the most promise that could be king. The Prologue showcased that. Not only that, what would the point of having the people question her kingship? That would destroy quite a lot of what they're doing and what Naruto is doing for her. One of the key ideas of King Arthur was that he was the 'Perfect King' and it was only after a decade of perfect rule that people began to question if he was human.**

**The First Oracle – Alrighty then, I knew there would be at least one person that would criticize heavily about Naruto's contemplation of suicide. Look, despite having just beaten Kaguya, Naruto spent quite a long time trying to figure a way to get back, but too much time had passed since that day, and he was under the belief that everything was done for. Refer back to my end AN in the last chapter about things concerning this, along with Zelretch explaining things to him back in the Prologue as Naruto mentioned things.**

**As for Gaia holding him back, he's still an alien in the planets 'eyes', despite having become an Ancestor and being regarded as a Lesser Fae, so the Counter Force would act up against him if he were to try and draw upon his old power, hence why he could only use a limited number of Shadow Clones and the Six Paths draining him a bit. Vivian merely gave him a small aid to help in regards to this setback, but it's conditional. Though that doesn't mean he won't regain his powers gradually over time, especially when he will absolutely need it to save what he cares about.**

**Time is a key facet to being accepted into the system that is Gaia/Alaya, which can be seen in the example of Altera. It took her being on earth in a vegatative state for nearly 12,000 years before she could operate without the Counter Force trying to erase her. Another example is Abigail Williams and mentioning that if she gained full access to her powers during the Salem singularity(powers derived from an Outer God) of FGO then the counter force would have dropped like an anvil.**

**As for trying to get back home, why would he try to do so? Even if Zelretch does find his correct reality, everyone Naruto knows is dead. He has come to terms with the fact that no one would have been able to stand up to Sasuke back in the EN with him gone and has instead chose to make something of his life here. Not just that, but trying to time travel itself is extremely difficult, the Fifth Magic doesn't really delve into that, it's seems more a form of Entropy control, or something similar if I'm understanding it correctly.**

**Naruto by the Prologue in 1993 is a little over 1600 years old. He's been residing in the Nasuverse for a very, very… VERY long time. He's set very deep roots there. In his emotional breakdown, he said that he accepted that everyone he knew was already dead and that he can never go back.**

**Anyways, I appreciate your review, nonetheless.**

**Def Apathetic – Glad that you enjoyed the bar scene, almost everyone has. I wanted to do something different with this battle with merely showing their infiltration as opposed to the skirmish that ensued afterwards to make things different from the previous battles.**

**I've always pictured Morgan to be this vindictive and extremely clever villainess that's always prepared for any eventuality. She knows what to say, when to say it and how to say it. She's essentially a vastly superior version of Zetsu; acting behind the scenes all the while continuously planning and changing those plans to suit her needs. Once she gets something ready, all she needs to do is give it a tap, sit back and watch everything go downhill from there.**

**Having a section to explore her mind was something that I intended to do later down the line once things settle down after this new chapter.**

**My mind wasn't quite in the best situation as I was writing this fight between them, so I apologize for that. Though I've never played Dark Souls, sorry :P**

**Yeah, I felt that Naruto & Arturia's relationship needed to begin soon, otherwise the plan I had for their development would go down the drain. And plus, I really wanted them to get together sooner rather than later, in order to help cement things between them in future chapters. As for how they maintain their relationship, you'll see throughout the future chapters in how they manage things ;)**

**I actually never thought of it that way in regards to Naruto attempting suicide.**

**Anyways, thanx for the review!**

**xXwolfsterXx64**** – Glad to hear that you enjoyed it, as for when Morgan gets what's coming to her… one day…**

**vercingetorix2**** – I'M SO HAPPY THAT YOU LOVE THIS FIC LOLOLOLOLZ!**

**DarkMatterPhoenix**** – I'm glad that you have nothing bad to say about the new chapter, so onto the points you have:**

**1) It's quite possible that such a thing would occur, though you'll have to keep reading onwards.**

**2) That's actually a pretty interesting explanation behind the First Magic. As for Naruto obtaining it, I can't say anything on the matter, sorry ;)**

**3) I've also been confused on the subject of the matter when it comes to the Fifth Magic, thanx for the tid bit of info on it.**

**AzureFan2**** – The potential situation with Mordred as Naruto & Arturia's kid… well, all I can say is that you should keep on reading ;)**

**OneWhoCantWrite**** – Mordred's origin… well, I won't say what it will be in this story in order to keep the surprise.**

**As for things with Guinevere and Lancelot, I can't say, other than that things will get a little interesting.**

**Yup, it's all true with Lancelot being an OC lolz.**

**Archilles**** – Indeed they have begun their secret love affair after such a revelation.**

**giacomoX**** – Thanx, so what all did you like and/or dislike about the new chapter?**

**Imperiumjay**** – Thanx, I'm glad that you're excited for more in this story. As for Mordred, well, all I can say is that there shall be fluff! AND THE FLUFF SHALL BE STRONK!**

**Stratos263**** – And now they must keep their love a secret from those who would look down upon it and ruin their dream of a peaceful & prosperous nation for the future of the people. So, what all did you like and/or dislike about the new chapter?**

**Anonimo**** – Web addresses don't get posted fully unless you make spaces in some places within it. Not only that, what were you trying to say exactly? Anyways, what all did you like and/or dislike about the new chapter? Or the story thus far?**

**plums**** – I'm honestly tired of seeing this complaint. I won't explain any further since I've already done so with this subject. Naruto isn't nerfed, so go back and read my previous AN's on the matter. Not only that, Naruto has never faced someone like Morgan before. She always has a plan in place. I've explained this as well in a previous chapter through Merlin telling Naruto about her. The closest person to Morgan within the Naruto Universe in terms of temperament and deviousness are Danzo (who naruto never meets once in the entire series) and Obito(who's combined amount of time talking to Naruto is at most 24 hours total)**

**Though if it is still bugging you then do me a favor and suggest how i could improve it, it is all well and good to point out an issue but a suggestion of how to correct it is much more appreciated.**

**lou the winner – I'm sure you'll enjoy where I'm taking this story!**

**PassiveNox**** – Thanx, so what all did you like and/or dislike about the new chapter?**

**Guest; Chapter 6, July 5****th**** – Glad to know that I've managed to make it so :)**

**GamerX568**** – Well here's the thing. Even if Naruto could use the Jutsu from each of them, he cannot tap into it properly.**

**Guest; Chapter 6, July 8****th**** – I've said this once before, and I'll say it again, I'll update when I can. How often that occurs will be dependent on life and other stuff going on. Nevertheless, I'm glad that you're enjoying the story.**

**Ij0nk**** – *SIGH* I'm not sure if I've said this in my previous AN's, but I'm not being bias. It's already been explained with Naruto's powers and abilities since he's basically an alien in the Nasuverse and Gaia. Also, I'm not sure where you got the notion of Naruto "getting his ass handed to him for 5 chapters" from. He was beaten by Brunestud of the Crimson Moon, who is OP as fuck even when compared to the Otsutsuki's. Naruto can still use chakra and Jutsu, it's just that he can't use his OP stuff too much otherwise he incites the Counter Force to erase him. I won't be redoing Naruto's abilities as I'm too far into the story at this point and it'd be a complete rewrite, something that I'm not going to do. Also, Kurama is still with Naruto, or rather Yin Kurama is when Obito transferred him over to Naruto when Black Zetsu stole him away before Minato could do it. The worlds combat style is different because instead of destructive power being privatized it is conceptual notions.**

**Take for example that canon end of series Naruto fought Cu Chulainn under Lancer class. Naruto can't use projectiles due to Protection from Arrows so he would have to get up close. Cu could use Gae Bolg which reverses cause and effect. Even if Naruto clears the first luck check then Cu can just keep going till the luck runs out (and it would otherwise that's not luck but certainty) and once its successful it deactivates healing factors. So Naruto gets heart stabbed and Kurama couldn't heal it. This is just an example and an actual full on battle would go differently but it serves its purpose. This change from raw power to nuanced concepts in combat means that Naruto has to learn how to fight differently otherwise he will die.**

**Either way, I'm glad that you're interested in Naruto & Arturia's relationship within the story.**

**Anyways, on with the new chapter, and the conclusion to the "Rise" section of the Camelot arc!**

**Fair warning, there will be a lemon in this chapter. And it's the first one that I've written so please don't be so critical of my writing when it comes to this scene as well as the romance as it's not my strong suite.**

**If you want to skip it, go ahead, the beginning & end will come up with "{}".**

* * *

Chapter 6: The Rise of Camelot Part VI

-Late November, 473 AD-

Naruto tossed and turned in bed as his eyes opened drowsily with the sun beginning to rise, shining through the ornate glass window into the room. He rubbed his eyes to get the gunk of sleep out of them, all the while, feeling like he had just finished up a relaxing day at the sauna back in Konoha. He looked to his left to see Arturia was still sleeping, hair undone, wearing a one-piece nightgown and a peaceful look gracing her features. Naruto smiled at the sight that he never got tired off, "How did I get so lucky with you?" He brushed a hand over her hair that felt like soft silk carried the scent of cherries.

"I could ask the same thing." It seemed Arturia had already woken up before he did but was merely trying to make things last as long as possible. She smiled as she opened her eyes while she took his hand to caress between her own before rubbing it against her cheek. Naruto slightly shivered which Arturia gave a small chuckle. Her skin was as soft as virgin snow, and Arturia always seemed to get that reaction from Naruto whenever she did something like this.

Ever since they began their secret love affair, they had done everything in their ability to hide it from everyone. Well… mostly everyone… unbeknownst to the couple, Arturia's father & brother figured things out very quickly that the two were now rather intimate with one another. However, Uzumaki and Pendragon had yet to take the next step in their relationship in terms of… making love to one another for a multitude of reasons.

Even though Naruto was a Dead Apostle, he was a unique case ever since Merlin explained his condition to him. He had no vampiric impulses, along with holding a certain level of Divinity within him that there was no telling what that did to him. Merlin had called him a 'symbiotic ball of contradictions' where those things that were impossible or unlikely thrived within him.

Then there was the adverse effect that his chakra would have on his body. It was building up once again after he regained his Six Paths power, all in due to Vivian's gift no doubt. Their fear was If Naruto & Arturia ever did make love, and something came out of it… well, both of them would have been happy regardless with a child born from their passion, but the status of her gender being revealed would be in jeopardy. Then there was the status of the child as well. Being called a bastard since it would be born out of wedlock and not having any legitimate claim to the throne as heir to Uther. Though the memories were old, Naruto could still recall how those called 'clanless' were looked down on by those in power.

And finally, Naruto would be revealed as a vampire to the public, and everything could be destroyed.

His Apostle status was no secret amongst the King's court with some having accepted him with open arms. While others like Gawain and Gehris were holding a sensible amount of caution. However, the mob is bigoted and easy to anger; his red eyes alone drew whispers that he was some devil. Rumors were abound of the strange blonde that walked in Camelot's shadows.

Naruto had reached out to Altrouge in this time to ask her of such a thing occurring, Merlin having lent him a butterfly Familiar to send a letter to the Balkans. He preferred a speedy delivery to one by hand that would have taken months. As luck would have it, she had responded in kind that they would not have any fear of such a thing occurring since the Crimson Moon 'sired' him, and Ancestor reproduction was nigh impossible without outside intervention. Although Altrouge did reluctantly say that Naruto's status was unique as he was aware of beforehand.

Either way, it was all too great a risk. But that did not deter their love for one another.

Speaking of the vampiress that pointed Naruto in Merlin's direction, she was glad that he had found someone to enjoy life with, along with a goal to work towards and gave him her best wishes. Although she did mention that Blackmore was rumored to have been in Britain about two years ago, Altrouge had said that he had stolen something of great importance to her, with Naruto deciding to keep an eye out along with an ear to the ground to find the disgusting Crow if he could. Whatever it was that Blackmore had stolen, Naruto had a feeling that a resident blackened Fae would stick her nose in it.

Arturia pulled Naruto back into bed as he tried to rise, something he tried to fight half-heartedly until conceding, they snuggled up to one another in bliss. Seeing that the morning was still just beginning, they had some time before they would be forced to go back to becoming the king and retainer in front of the masses, "I think it's because I'm just so likable. I mean what do I have that isn't just A-grade charismatic?" Naruto jested as their foreheads touched one another in a show of affection.

Arturia's rolled her eyes and played along with her partner, "Well… you could always…" She left it trailing off to tease Naruto as she shrugged her shoulders as if she wanted to say something but opted not to. One would be hard-pressed to reconcile this more laid back girlish side of Arturia from the stiff King Arthur, and Naruto felt privileged that she only showed this side to him.

Naruto playfully narrowed his eyes, "Oh come on~ I was kidding about that last part." Arturia stifled a laugh before she took a nearby pillow and swatted him lightly, "Hey!" Naruto took the pillow off his head as Arturia sat up at the head of the bed crossing her arms, giving him an innocent look as if she had nothing to do with it.

Naruto was about to say something until a knock on the door interrupted their intimate time together. It seemed that someone had already gotten up for the day before they did. Catching the odor of sweet blossoms masking sex, Naruto quickly rolled over the side of the bed and grabbed Carnnawen off the bedside table muttering a muted "Nyx" under his breath. The shadows beneath the bed frame pulsed before widening and Arturia watched in muted fascination as Naruto's entire body slipped into the shadow, leaving her alone.

With luck, his clothes weren't in plain view, being stashed in Arturia's closet since no one ever goes into it bar herself.

As it turns out, it was Merlin, "Ah! Good morning my king!" The flower magus merrily greeted, "I trust your sleep was well enough?" He gave a knowing smirk as if he already knew the truth, "I went by my apprentice's room, but he wasn't there, so I assumed he had already woken up to start his day. You wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you?"

Arturia's posture straightened up, seeing that her old teacher seemed to know the answer already, she felt it best to at least be somewhat honest though she didn't directly state anything in the event that one of the inner circle walked by, "He came by briefly to inform me that he was heading into the marketplace to gather some things, though he never said as to why. Perhaps he intends to inspect the bonfire construction sites?" Ever since the Linnuis homestead, Naruto had suggested that they create large bonfire structures to help heat the capital during winters to help with the farmlands inside the city to keep crops from completely dying out, as well as provide heating throughout the civilians' residence to ensure they were warm and not shivering through the season.

Merlin hummed in thought while he pulled a package that was wrapped up in white cloth out from his robes, "Well, in any case. I brought you some reading material that I thought you could benefit from in the future." The magus placed the book on a nearby chest of drawers before he turned back around to the open door, "If you happen to see my apprentice, do tell him that I have a new lesson that he needs to attend. Though I don't think the message will take that long to reach his ears." Casting a sideways glance to the shadows beneath Arturia's bed, he chuckled to himself before he shut the door to head to his workshop, leaving both occupants to themselves.

Naruto crawled out from within the shadow and dusted himself off before heading to the closet to grab his clothes, "I think he knows about… us." Naruto knew that Merlin was very perceptive given his wisdom and clairvoyance.

That and he was a Pervy Mage.

He had experience in such things. The fact he was half incubus was also a contributing factor.

Arturia breathed in deeply before she nodded, "If he did not, he more than likely would not have come by with that message for you." She wasn't a fan of lying to those close to her, but she, unfortunately, had no choice in the matter with so many secrets that would destroy things. Arturia turned away while Naruto quickly changed clothes to head to Merlin's workshop for the lesson all the while she contemplated on ways that maybe… just maybe… that everything could work out in the end for them. But before that, she needed to prepare herself in the coming days, their assault on the north to depose of her uncle for good was coming.

The shuffling of clothes stopped, signaling Arturia that it was alright to look back over to Naruto who walked over towards her. Shifting her position on the bed, Arturia got up on her knees to be at Naruto's head level where the two shared a chaste kiss between before he left. Breaking off their kiss, Naruto quietly whispered to his beloved, "Have I ever told you, how much I love you?"

"You do it quite often." Arturia replied before she gave Naruto another quick peck on the lips before pulling away and speaking again, "Now go head to Merlin and finish up your lesson."

Naruto sighed before he relented to that cute, adorable yet beautiful face, "Alright, alright. I'll go see what Pervy Mage has in-store today." The ninja spoke before he left Arturia's bedroom.

Feeling that she too needed to get dressed, Arturia was about to head into her closet, that is until she glanced back over to the package that Merlin had brought forth to her. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she found herself striding over towards the wrapped-up object and undid the cloth to see just what it was that her old teacher believed she could benefit from.

It was a thick tome of heavy leather binding and a rough hide strap holding it closed, but the title was still legible, scrawling out in gold leaf cursive. At first, Arturia was flabbergasted; she coughed a bit when she saw the title all the while her face became as red as a tomato, then her lips quivered in absolute embarrassment.

_'How to Please Your Significant Other'_

"D-damn you… Pervy Mage…" It seemed that Naruto nickname for the magus stuck with her as well and it was rightfully earned. Well… maybe he did have something for her to learn from… right…?

* * *

-The Tower of Magi-

Naruto made his way through the halls of the palace which had been mostly completed, with only a few minor things left to furnish such as a few rooms left to finish up. Although the Grand Hall where the court was held and the Private Garden were among the last significant structures left to finish. Giving a few waves to the guardsmen that were coming off their shifts from the night's watch and rotating with the rested men, Naruto arrived at the tower where he and Merlin practiced their Magecraft.

The tower was deceptively thick, appearing to outside observers as a smooth tower of marble that was outside of Camelot's keep. The apex of which held a design similar to that of Merlin's staff. The interior contained separate floors pertaining to the specific schools that Merlin had taught Naruto, allowing him to hone them to their peak without any distractions from the other subjects. Each wall, floor and doorway had been furnished with Magecraft to expand it. In layman's terms, it was bigger on the inside, but it went so much further than that. Taking the stairs to the top floor, Naruto saw Merlin preparing some sort of ritual; a transportation one if he read the markings correctly, prompting Naruto's curiosity to rise, "What's with the ritual? Trying to summon something?"

Not skipping a beat, Merlin poured some tea into a pair of cups as he began to explain, "More along the lines of the opposite of summoning." Merlin held the other cup for Naruto to take, the Apostle accepting it before he shifted the subject around, "Though I must say the king's step must be rather quick to traverse from the palace to the marketplace for you to receive my message." The magus arched an amused brow while he smirked at Naruto who's cheeks briefly gained a dusting of red before shaking it off.

"So…" Naruto rubbed the back of his head while he glanced around the room, trying to find something more interesting to look at than giving the Pervy Mage the satisfaction, settling on the view of the British countryside laid out beyond the balcony of the tower "…you know about us, huh?"

Merlin wagged a finger at his apprentice, "You can't fool me, dear apprentice. Even though you've lived longer than I, I am far more experienced in such matters than thee." Merlin laughed before waved off any concern Naruto had, "Have no fear, no one other than myself is aware of your secret love with the king." He paused briefly before he stroked his chin in thought, "Although I do believe Lancelot knows."

Naruto's eyes shot up in panic, "Lancelot knows?!"

Oh shit…

Merlin quickly waved his hand to try and calm Naruto down, "I highly doubt that he will say anything on the matter. In fact, I suspect he intends to take the secret to his grave." Naruto sighed in relief at this bit of news. Merlin had kept a very close eye on his king and apprentice ever since they returned from receiving Vivian's gifts, as he noticed that the two were more intimate than before. Not long after that, he did on occasion spot the Apostle sneaking in and out of her room during the evenings and mornings when most were still asleep. Lancelot had at times sent off those whom would've somehow discovered the meetings; thus, Merlin concluded that the Knight of the Lake did secretly support the pair and wished that they would find happiness even if they lied to everyone in public.

Which brought up the next item that Merlin felt that needed to be addressed, "I have also noticed that you've been working on ways to depose Vortigern without Arturia killing him, would you care to explain why?" He had known that Naruto was trying to devise such a way, however even if it did succeed, then things would not get better for Britain.

Naruto looked Merlin in the eye as he knew just what road Arturia could potentially head down if she did kill her uncle, "I've… I've had to fight family to the death before. It's not a pleasant thing. I've seen what happens when family members, brothers… fight & kill one another. And it changes them, forever."

Even after he knew the truth of the Uchiha Massacre, Sasuke swore vengeance against the Leaf after the Gokage Summit and even up until his supposed 'reform' leading to his betrayal just after they defeated Kaguya, Sasuke was a completely different person. Naruto knew that Arturia had already taken lives in battle; that she was a pure soul and desired justice, not vengeance, unlike his spiritual brother, but still… killing one's own family was a nasty thing, regardless. If Naruto could prevent that and even overthrow Vortigern without Arturia's innocence at the cost, then he would find a way.

Merlin merely shook his head as he pulled up a chair to sit down, "Sit with me." Taking another sip of his tea, Merlin believed that it was best to help guide his apprentice to think more realistically, to help guide their king to a better path. Merlin often had Fou watch over the private lessons that Naruto gave to Arturia when it came to combat with swordplay from the Far East, deduction tactics to help see through deception and traps in the heat of battle or even in expanding her usage of the basics of Magecraft that essentially turned theory into a very dangerous ability even in the most overwhelming odds.

Even that saying he had imparted to her, _'Look underneath the underneath'_, were wise words indeed.

But if Naruto thought that he could protect her from every nasty thing in the world, then he needed to help pull the veil from his eyes to help him see clearly. Naruto pulled up the chair opposite of Merlin while his teacher spoke, "Tell me… if a flower only blooms in one direction. Is it still a flower?"

Naruto furrowed his brows at the question. Merlin always had some clever way of trying to make a point by confusing people with his words, while saying that they merely needed to think about the answer in which it would be revealed in all to them.

"I guess… maybe?" Naruto asked rather than claimed, "I mean if it still blooms even a bit, then it's still a flower."

Merlin shook his head at the answer that was more of a lopsided question than anything else, "Are you letting the flower grow or preventing it from finding its way? You can't protect her forever, you know." It was kind of Naruto to try and take on the aspects that one usually would change others, but it was foolish to do so.

Naruto straightened up at that statement, "Yeah, I know that but…"

"But what?" Merlin asked as he was curious if Naruto really could try to defend his stance in the argument.

Naruto looked down into the tea where he gazed into his reflection, looking back on the naïve boy who thought that he could redeem a comrade that was soaked in blood and yearned for more, "Even if she does kill Vortigern, her heart would only become cold in the end." He looked to Merlin with a defiant look in his eye, "There's no way I'm letting that happen. When you've got family blood on your hands, you can never wash it off."

"You speak from experience and melancholy, but you let it tinge your sentiment, Naruto." Merlin huffed, replacing his cup on the nearby table and stapling his fingers in thought.

Seeing that Naruto did not comprehend his meaning, Merlin hummed at the experience that Naruto clearly had, or at the very least appeared to have witnessed in his life, "Perhaps, but if she does not slay the Dragon tyrant, then Britain will only decline into civil war with some still advocating for him to return to the north." Merlin took another sip of his tea before continuing, "Not just that, if she does not, then her dream and ideals will only become harder to reach. While they may be childish, they are not wrong, nor are they bad, rather instead it will be a long and troubled road she will endure. One that you can aid her in if you continue to do so."

Naruto met the gaze of his teacher, his eyes full of determination. "I will do whatever I can to make sure she doesn't walk that path-"

"That's the point, you!" Merlin cut Naruto off in a rare showing of temper that brought the blonde to a complete stop. "You look at Arturia and see yourself when you were younger and hope to keep her hands clean because yours are dirty. But Arturia is not you, Naruto, do not take my tone as an insult to your ideals, but what you try to guide Arturia along is born of your past." Merlin's face returned to its usual calm state, but his eyes remained fierce. "Those who wallow in the past are incapable of making a better future; if you look upon the world from the past, then the past is all you will see."

The magus brought up a finger in another point to make, one that he was confident that Naruto would take far more seriously given his experience with the blackened Fae witch, "One day, Arturia will have to kill her sister to achieve her dream. Do you think that Morgan deserves such a thing as mercy from the king's justice?" Naruto opened his mouth to respond, but Merlin beat him to the punch, "Of course she will have to do so. Morgan is far too vindictive and dangerous to Arturia's dream. She would love nothing more than to burn it all down, leaving the king in despair at all the effort she put in to create her ideal kingdom, only to be stopped by you. You who would try so hard to impede on her dream; even spitting on her honor and your love for Arturia, to protect her innocence. Then you aren't a retainer or even a lover… just an old man angry that someone doesn't see things the way you do."

Merlin's words seemed to reach Naruto as his apprentice's eyes widened in that last sentence. He dipped his head down in shame, all the while Merlin continued onwards, "Your love for Arturia is indeed a good thing. But it can also blind you to the truth. She is a woman that has made her own choices in life, and those choices of the future will help steel her resolve to forge the utopia she wishes to create for the people." Merlin set his tea down for the last time as he stood up to finish their conversation up and move onto the lesson, "If you truly love her, respect her, admire her, and acknowledge that Arturia is a king, then you must aid her in carrying out such extremes. Otherwise, it will all be nothing more than an insult to her."

Naruto realized that Merlin was right. He couldn't protect Arturia from what was to come in spilling of her family's blood. But that didn't mean he couldn't help ease that burden from her shoulders. Merlin patted him on the back to help raise the mood into a cheerier atmosphere, "Now, I do believe that a lesson is due today, is it not?" Today would be quite the lesson indeed…

Taking in a deep breath, Naruto sat his tea on the table as his usual bravado rose back up, "Yup. So, what's on today's agenda?" Glancing back briefly to the ritual markings, Naruto inquired his teacher further, "You said it was the opposite of summoning. So, is it reverse summoning? Banishing?"

Merlin walked out onto the floor as he elaborated, "Given your connection to Nothingness, we shall see how you can navigate the Imaginary Number Space today." Gesturing for Naruto to step into the ritual circle, Merlin prepared the spell to send him off.

Naruto wasn't sure what it was that Merlin just said, "The what Space?"

Oh, Merlin had a feeling that this was something he needed to remind his apprentice of since he had most of his attention directed to Arturia for a good while, "The Imaginary Number Space is a space in between the spaces of Textures. We have the planet Earth, which is the celestial body and then myriad layers of realities stacked atop one another until you reach us here on the surface world. They all technically occupy the same space but are separated by the Imaginary Number Space."

" A place where nothing exists, and yet everything does exist, with no way to navigate it, unless one possesses a special connection to that which is Nothingness. Very much like yourself. It's similar to the concept of Hollow." Tapping his staff twice, the ritual circle began to activate with a hole suddenly appearing in the floor that leads into some bright green light. Naruto took a few steps back before he felt the tip of Merlin's staff in his back, "Now we shall push your connection to its limits, and you must find a way out of it. Good luck, my apprentice!" The magus merrily cheered the ninja on as he shoved him into the hole who screamed a few vulgarities at his teacher before the hole closed up to conclude the ritual.

Merlin walked back to the table to continue sipping his tea, all the while remaining patient for his apprentice to return, "And now to play the waiting game."

* * *

-Naruto-

"Oh, you douchebag…" Naruto was now floating in the middle of quite literally nowhere, with a dark dense fog obscuring his vision along with some floating lime-green lights dotting the fog. It extended seemingly forever in any given direction and Naruto had a hard time orienting himself given there were no reference points. The green lights that peppered the void ebbed and flowed with each passing second, something that has become harder to gauge. This entire place was little more than a place where concepts and realities met, and Naruto Uzumaki couldn't make heads nor tails of it.

_**'****How do you plan to get out of this one, genius?'**_

Well, Merlin had stated that the Imaginary Number Space was a place in between textures; most likely it was what separated the Material World and the Reverse Side where the Phantasmal Species from the Age of Gods now resided within. It's also where everything exists, yet at the same time it does not.

'_Well, Pervy Mage did say my connection to Nothingness could get me out of this place…'_ Which meant that he needed to put quite a bit of work into this lesson.

Naruto began to put four Memory Partitions to start setting the foundation of escaping. The thought of desire came to mind, as even though it was regarded as a sin of sorts by some cultures, it was a very strong emotion that could empower one to accomplish their goals. The desire to escape, the desire to see Camelot again… the desire to see his beloved drove him to escape this space. Naruto crossed his legs while he 'sat down' to try and 'feel' out the Imaginary Number Space to see if there was at least something that he could use to help aid him.

Tapping into the Six Paths power within, Naruto extended his senses outwards through the space to form something that could open the way back to the tower, something such as the Sword of Nunoboku could be useful, that is if it could tear open a way through dimensions. Then again he was sure that half of everything Obito had ever said was bullshit at this point. No, he'd need something far more powerful. Something like Excalibur's light came to mind…

Seconds dragged on into minutes and hours to Naruto whose eyes remain closed the entire time, only the sound of flowing nothingness to accompany him; his mind never straying far from that brilliant golden light.

"Heh, here I'm trying to escape this damned space… and yet, I can help but think of that beautiful smile of hers…" Naruto had Arturia on his mind for many a times during the day, thinking of how many ways that things could get screwed up if they were discovered, or on what way could Naruto try to make Arturia's day all the happier whether it be food, or amusing stories from his childhood that were able to bring a laugh out of her. Merlin's words' reverberated in the empty space around him, about letting Arturia become her own person instead of being dragged down into his past ideologies. More than anything he remembered the light that had filled the field on the day of selection seven years ago, before he had any connection to Arturia. That feeling was beyond romance, not tarnished by something so subjective...it was euphoria.

Suddenly, a bright light began to radiate before him forcing the blond to shield his eyes temporarily before he used Reinforcement on his eyes to allow him to adjust to its brightness; even then, it was like staring at the sun, "What the…?" This light was warm and comforting, just as Excalibur was… and yet, Naruto could feel that the source, was frighteningly powerful… "Holy shit." Naruto felt the light's power was overwhelming, flooding his senses with power beyond imagination… a power that could help him escape this space, or eternally damn him to it, "Ok, time to take this slowly."

_**'Woah, hey! Be careful here, there's no telling what the hell that light is!'**_

_'I already got that feeling when it suddenly appeared. But if this light can get me out of here, then I should at the least check it out.'_

_**'Have you ever considered the possibility that one day flying by the seat of your pants is going to get you killed?'**_

Naruto got up from his position to try and walk towards the light, only to recall that he couldn't, seeing that there was no gravity in this space, "Guess I can try to reach out and grab it, I guess." Still in the Six Paths form, Naruto reached out with a cloaked hand to grasp the light, feeling that he managed to grab onto something solid: a handle of sorts if he was feeling it correctly, "Time to take a leap of faith." Naruto grasped the handle to pull on the object that began to take the form of a silver pole.

The pillar of light did not react favorably to such treatment and began to crackle angrily before growing thicker and taller, piercing the heavens and dropping to the depths of the mist beneath him. When he did not relent the green mist began to condense into layer upon layer of white clouds that formed around Naruto and the pillar in banks, one stacked atop the other but all fastned in some way to the central pillar of golden light. Naruto continued on regardless, reasoning that if he stopped now he would at best be back to square one and at worst...he didn't really want to think about it.

He tugged on the pole as hard as he could using his enhanced strength, coupled with Reinforcement to recall his cloaked hands back to his body to try and sue the object to escape the Imaginary Number Space, "Come… on… get loose… you damned… stupid… THING!" Naruto finally yanked the pole out of the light that still radiated before him, however he now observed the object he was now holding: a shining silver lance that seemed to twist around the pole, with the guard twisting around to open up like an odd flower blooming.

_**'****Careful with that lance, Naruto.'**_Kurama spoke up, with a worried tone evident in his voice,_** 'I have no idea just what you did, but that lance… holy crap is it powerful…'**_ Disbelief and shock became obvious in his words.

_'You know what it is?'_ Naruto inquired.

_**'No, but it looks like you merely pulled a piece of that light from the source, and it just took form of whatever you were thinking of at the moment.'**_ Kurama continued to observe the lance's energies, seeing that it was linked very closely to the source, despite having a piece of it being broken off,_** 'In fact, that thing is still drawing power from the source, even after being split apart. I'd wager it'd still do just that even if we do get back to the Material World. '**_The fox could see that Naruto unknowingly created a weapon that held an infinite amount of destructive potential.

Naruto stared at the lance in shock, as such a thing was unheard of. If what Kurama said was accurate, then the level this lance had was unquantifiable in terms of power… In fact, he was so focused on that matter alone, he was ignorant of the hole that appeared in front of him. Turning his attention to this new development, Naruto could feel the air of the magi tower that Merlin just shoved him out of breeze through the whole, with the image distorted; most likely the texture that separated the dimensions.

"Alright, back home we go." Naruto thrust the lance through the hole that tore it open even further as he tried to push himself through with all his might, however, he felt a tugging sensation on the lance that pulled him back through to the tower as he deactivated the Six Paths before the Counter Force began to act up again, leaving the Imaginary Number Space for good.

* * *

-Minutes Earlier; The Magi Tower-

"YOU DID WHAT TO HIM?!" Merlin had to cover his ears to keep his eardrums from rupturing after Arturia practically shouted at him in both annoyance as well as anger at her old teacher for basically shoving Naruto into some other dimension for a lesson.

Arturia came to ask Naruto for some help in regarding their assault on Vortigern's lands to finally depose her mad uncle, only to learn from Merlin's mouth that he tossed him into a place where there was quite literally no way of escaping unless the Apostle tapped into his connection to Nothingness, but there was no telling how long that would take.

As for the magus' current situation, well… "I mean, he does have a special Origin that can get him out of it." He chuckled all the while nervously searching for little Fou, hoping he could help him get out of the incoming beating. Sad to say the little familiar was nowhere to be found, so distracting jokes were off the table.

Arturia crossed her arms, as she narrowed her eyes at Merlin, wondering just what kind of punishment she could subject him to for doing such a thing. As she began to speak once again, Arturia saw a dense fog emerge from in between them, along with the tip of a shining lance if she was correct emerge from it, prompting Merlin to swoop in and save his proverbial ass from the king's punishment for tossing her secret lover into the Imaginary Number Space, "Aha! I knew he could do it!"

Arturia quickly lost her imposing stature with the contemplation of concern crossing her face, as she grasped the lance to pull Naruto through the hole and back into the tower, with Naruto's golden shroud dissipating as he held onto the large lance that came with him. Naruto coughed a bit before he tried to clear his throat to speak again, as Arturia helped to prop him up as she patted his back, "Naruto, are you alright?!"

Naruto blinked as he undid the Reinforcement on his eyes to see Arturia helping him up, "I'm fine, though I brought back something with me." Oh yeah, he almost forgot… "By the way, Pervy Mage…" The ninja turned to his teacher, who was too shocked apparently as his vision was directed at the lance Naruto was currently holding in a manner that was about to whack him on the head, "…I think you're due for a smack on the head for that little 'lesson' you gave me."

Naruto raised the lance high above his head, just merely intending to put a bruise on Merlin's forehead, that is until his teacher quickly brought a hand up in protest, "WAIT, DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'VE BROUGHT WITH YOU?!" Pointing directly at the lance.

Arturia & Naruto were both stunned by Merlin's extremely rare panicked tone, as he never… EVER… sounded as such before in the years they've known the man. Naruto slowly lowered the lance as was beginning to worry what it was that he brought back with him, "What did I bring back with me…?"

Merlin stepped closer as he brought his free hand to touch the lance, that seemed to spark briefly causing Arturia to jump briefly before she placed a hand on Excalibur to draw it if necessary, but Merlin halted her with a gesture before he began to explain, "This… my young apprentice, is Rhongomyniad."

Now Naruto understood what it was that he was holding… what he brought with him… what he just touched in the Imaginary Number Space with his tenant whistling in amazement, _**'Of all the things…'**_

In previous lessons with Merlin, Naruto had come to learn that the tower that fastens the Material and Reverse Side separate from one another, was a pillar of absolute light that kept them from merging into one another, but also securing the planet together. It held power beyond imagination, surpassing almost everything in existence, thus ensuring the stability of the world would remain as is. If the pillar ever came undone, the damage would be beyond catastrophic, with reality being torn asunder and the Age of Gods being re-enacted… or at least the World would be placed in a new age that was very much like it.

Rhongomyniad was essentially a weapon that could break the world if its wielder were so inclined to do so.

Naruto shakingly held the lance, as if it were but a fragile thing, contrary to the evidence of what Merlin revealed, "Ok, so. I'm holding a weapon that can break the world and have no idea how to use it properly."

Merlin ran his fingers across the surface of the lance while Arturia was now contemplating that little nugget that Naruto dropped, "H-How… I-I don't understand." She turned to Merlin for him to elaborate further, "Merlin, how can this lance _'break the world'_, as Naruto put it?" She had long let go of Excalibur's grip but remained on edge, nonetheless.

"Of all the things…" Merlin murmured to himself. He was analyzing Rhonogmyniad to see that despite being separated from the primary source of power, it was still drawing upon it to empower the weapon. The only weapon that Merlin knew could match it was long lost in _that_ foolish, tyrannical king's treasury somewhere in that desert of wandering savage tribes. But not even _he_ had anything in his possession that was the original of this lance, nor the Fae gifts that Vivian bestowed upon Arturia, Lancelot & Gawain.

Something that Merlin was very grateful for inwardly, knowing that Caliburn was a copy that was no doubt in _that_ lost treasury and would break before the original model he forged for Arturia to become the king.

He knew that Arturia was not very knowledgeable in these subjects, so he elaborated for her, "…young Arturia, what you see before you is but a shadow of Rhongomyniad's true form. A pillar of light that binds the world together and yet separates the Material from the Spiritual worlds. The Lance that Shines to the Ends of the World. A lance that has the potential to as Naruto said, _'break the world'_, by destroying the barriers to allow the Phantasmal Species in the Reverse Side of the World to migrate back over to our realm." He glanced to Arturia whose jaw had dropped slightly with wide eyes while Naruto was still frozen in place, "If that were to occur, then things would become very dire for not just us, but those who could crossover as well. Although we may be able to use it in some form or another."

Merlin went over to the stairs to begin delving through his library to look for a specific book, "And by the way…" He turned to glance back to the other occupants of the top floor, who in turn did the same, "…I do believe that it is suited to better hands, don't you think so, Naruto?" He turned back to the stairs as he descended below leaving Naruto & Arturia alone with one another, with the ninja knowing who was far better experienced as well as benefiting greatly from having Rhongomyniad in their hands.

Turning to Arturia, Naruto bent a knee as he held the lance up to Arturia before he spoke, "For a king that wields a sword that promises victory, then a lance that shines to the ends of the world would do far better in your hands than my own." Ever since Vivian told him that Arturia was the linchpin for the Age of Fairies, he had done everything he could try and find new ways to ensure that she could never die, even going as far as to forge a unique armor that was even greater than the one she donned in battle for preparation against Vortigern, seeing that he would be their greatest challenge in the campaign's finale. And now with Rhongomyniad, things seemed even brighter for Arturia's victory and dreams to come to fruition.

Arturia stared at the lance that Naruto was handing to her, unsure of how to feel about wielding such a power. On the one hand, she saw that he was passing on a great weapon that if in the wrong hands, could wreak devastation unlike anything ever seen before. But in the right hands, it would be the greatest shield & sword to protect what is just in the world. Arturia slowly inched her hands over to the lance's grip to take it from her kneeling retainer; gripping the handle, Arturia hefted the weapon into her hands to note that it was far lighter than she initially thought, just as Excalibur & Avalon weighed less than the average sword & sheath, so too did Rhongomyniad compared to a standard lance.

"Thank you, Naruto." She hefted the lance up in front of her to see that the weapon reflected her face with light dancing around within it, signifying that it was not of this world. Although since she had it out with her, "Naruto, please stay kneeled." An idea came to mind…

Naruto arched a brow at Arturia's words, but complied regardless, "Uhm… alright then, I'm kneeling." The next thing he knew, Arturia placed the lance on his left shoulder before she placed it on the right, "Despite that this isn't very traditional since knighting is performed with a sword, not a lance. This will have to do for now."

Was she knighting him? What for?

"On this day; I, Arturia Pendragon, King of Knights and Britain, do so proclaim my retainer: Naruto Uzumaki, to be my knight. My Knight of Sky Silver." Arturia raised the lance as she held it downwards as she held her hand for Naruto to take, "I know that you are not fond of the attention, but I believe that you deserve a proper title. Even if the people are unaware of your deeds for me, this was the least I could do."

Oh, so that's what she wanted to do. Naruto had preferred to stay out of the spotlight when it came to the public, seeing that a Dead Apostle was a mage under the king, but if he were to be recognized as a knight instead, even an unorthodox one at that, "I… thank you, Arturia." Ever since they began their secret relationship, Arturia had been adamant in Naruto calling her by her true name when they were in private as opposed to being called 'my king'. She knew he was showing respect, but she had enough of that from everyone else in the capital, and Naruto made things different for her with how she was addressed.

A nice change of pace was always good.

Naruto took her hand to stand up as he pondered what to do next, although Arturia spoke first, "Naruto, I also came here for your consultation in regards to dealing with our final battles coming forth." She knew his spies had snuck into a few villages in the north providing them with intel that could help them to find victory against their enemy, along with his tactics that were hard to predict.

Scratching the back of his head, Naruto wanted to try and divert the conversation towards something else, but she was in her 'king mode' per say, so he needed to placate her while still addressing the issue, "I see. Hmm… well, I can help out with that definitely since I still need also to see what reports my spies have sent back. Although…" He left the sentence unfinished to draw Arturia into his other intentions.

"Yes? What else?" The knightly king inquired.

"…well I actually had something in mind for us. Just the two of us actually… a date." A date was an idea that came to mind after his talk with Merlin on the matter of her. He realized that he couldn't stop Arturia from taking her uncle's life, but he could still do something to help her ease the process even if it was just for a bit.

However, the term of what a date meant was utterly lost on Arturia since they had yet to have one together since their duties kept getting in the way. Now though, it seemed that Naruto had one last opportunity to share something that couples usually would between them, "What is a date?"

She cocked her head to the side as her expression shifted into cute confusion.

Damn her for being such a… but that just meant she was so adorable, and he couldn't help it but be enraptured by her.

Clearing his throat to explain a bit, Naruto's own blush rose up from how he was already picturing things would go, "Well, a date is when two people who love each other very much spend time together and do some things with one another." He hoped that would be enough to help clear things up for her.

"Do we not do that already in secret?" Naruto's adorable king asked with innocence.

Guess she didn't get it.

Shaking his head, Naruto tried to explain a bit further, "Not really, I mean yes we do eat together apart from everyone else, we do talk a lot and even train together, but…" He sighed at how this was going, "…a date that I'm talking about is, well… me taking you, the both of us out to do some… stuff together away from all the business that's about the country." He saw that Arturia was a little surprised that he'd say this, though she stayed silent as he finished things up, "It'd give us the one chance to be just… us… no king. No knight. Just a couple doing something together without a care in the world and pretending that we're a pair of teenagers in love with one another."

Arturia was floored by what Naruto just proposed to her: temporarily abandoning their duties to go off gallivanting on some lovey-dovey time together. On the one hand, she wanted to chastise him for making the suggestion, but on the other hand… she actually wanted to do this so badly. Being the king took up a lot of her time, with maintaining the kingdom while protecting the people; however, she couldn't deny that it was stressful & tiring at times.

To be able to get away from it all, even just for a bit would be something that could help clear her mind of the coming battles. "I, I think I would like that, Naruto. Just the two of us." However, there laid a problem within Naruto's idea, "But, who will be in charge of affairs while I am gone?"

Naruto already had thought up something to help in that regard, "Well, I can take your place for the time being." Shadow Clone and Transformation Jutsu combo for the win! However, Arturia didn't understand given her confused expression, "Just watch." He demonstrated for her the Jutsu combo to reveal that he produced an exact copy of Arturia herself, with the disguised clone twirling around to showcase the illusion that the king was still in Camelot, as it ended with a curtsy that made Arturia inwardly wonder if she seemed a little too girly as a king.

"So, what mischievous little plan do my current and former student have in mind to make it appear that the king is in two places at once?" Merlin's amused voice rose up as he stood at the top of the stairs with a book that hid the lower half of his face, no doubt finding the scene entertaining.

"It's just a—"

"We're trying to—"

"For a—"

The three other occupants of the floor tried to answer, before they overlapped one another and stopped to see that was getting them nowhere before the clone dispersed to allow fewer mouths to speak, prompting Naruto to go first, "We were, uhh…"

He scratched his cheek in embarrassment before Arturia took over, "What Naruto is trying to say is that… we were planning on—"

"A date, perhaps?" Merlin finished as he chuckled at the sight of both soon to be lover blushing lightly since he figured it out.

'_Damned Pervy Mage was probably listening in the whole time.'_ Naruto thought to himself.

Merlin made his way over towards the two, as he held the book off to his side now, "In any case, you'll need some help. Perhaps a certain knight that is aware of your secret love affair could help with that?" Wiggling his eyebrows, Merlin was already giving them a bit of help in that regard to keep their cover.

Naruto got the gist of what Merlin said, but Arturia was shocked by that, "Someone knows?!" Panic quickly ensued before Naruto gripped her shoulders to comfort the girl.

"Lancelot does know, but he's not saying anything." Naruto explained, "I don't think he'd tell a soul about us together."

This calmed Arturia down as she breathed a sigh of relief.

In any case, Merlin tapped his staff on Rhongomyniad to direct their attention towards the weapon, "While the two of you will be on your secret rendezvous, I will be needing the lance to place a few restraints upon it, just to make sure its power doesn't cause any unwanted changes around the place."

Seeing that such a thing was indeed unwanted, Arturia handed the lance over to Merlin who had tucked the book under his arm to free his hand up to take the lance, "It will take some time, but I should have it ready for you to use before the siege of the northern lands. So, the two of you can run along now, and enjoy your little date." Merlin gave them a shooing gesture as he continued back over to a large table that held many a magical item.

Naruto & Arturia looked to one another before the ninja started to speak, all the while he ran Thought Acceleration in tandem with Memory Partition to plan their date out accordingly, "Well, let's uhm, head back to our rooms. I'll have some Shadow Clones go pick some stuff up, while we get ready." He brings up a finger for a point for Arturia, "Make sure to wear something that no one would associate you with being the king as well."

Arturia nodded as she believed that she did have something the likes of which he mentioned, "I understand, I may have just what it is you're referring to."

And with that, the young couple headed off to get ready… and hopefully, avoid any suspicions.

* * *

-Four Hours Later-

Naruto had his Shadow Clones head into the marketplace with a large picnic basket in hand, with everything packed for what he had in mind for their date, "Ok, lunch? Check. Flowers? Check." He was going over the essentials in his head to make this the perfect date. It had to be good for her, otherwise he doubted that any possible future secret rendezvous would be enjoyable, or at least bearable since was the first date he had ever taken a girl out on.

You would think that so many years on his lonesome would have made Naruto savvy to how to court a girl, but the majority of that time was spent preoccupied with many ventures that left little time for women.

Jiraiya had always said that Naruto had a natural charm which made girls fall for him easily if he put some effort into it. Thinking back on the past for a bit, Naruto never did have any romantic feelings for anyone bar Sakura, though he had long since concluded that it was less romance and more a need to be accepted. However, he never really got the chance to speak to Hinata after his fight with Pain. When she confessed herself right there on the battlefield, he was too shocked even to speak coupled with how everything went downhill from there with the Gokage Summit, the war, etc. Naruto was too distracted by those events to talk to the Hyuga and let her down easy. He shook his head at those thoughts since it was in a past that he could not change.

But now? Now, he found someone that he felt a deep and sincere affection for, a person who made his day just by existing and she had not rejected him when he had made this known. He had no regrets in admitting his love for Arturia.

Naruto mentally checked to feel the Flying Raijin kunai placed on a tree trunk that had been set outside the walls at the destination he had in mind so that they could evade unwanted eyes, "Ok, Flying Raijin marker is set." Checking his attire of a simple white tunic, blue pants and brown boots, coupled with the illusionary spell he used to change his appearance slightly, no one would see him as Merlin's apprentice. His eyes had returned to their original sky blue, along with his hair cut short and the whisker birthmarks gone, Naruto appeared similar to his father in his youth.

Finally, standing in front of Arturia's door, Naruto shook imperceptibly in both anticipation & nervousness at the date. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door before speaking up, "It's me, Naruto." He spoke softly but loud enough for her to hear from within.

"Come in." He could make out Arturia's soft voice from inside, though it sounded a little muffled. She most likely was in her closet getting ready. Naruto quickly opened the door to step inside as he looked down both ways of the hall to make sure no one saw him enter before shutting the door. Setting the basket down on the nearby chest, Naruto turned his attention to the closet from which Arturia stepped out to show her drastic change in appearance. No longer was she garbed in royal blue clothes that designated her as the king, nor of royal blood, or even possessing the atmosphere of a leader. Instead, her hair was let down ending just below her shoulder blades, along with her attire: a floor-length one-piece dress in baby blue with puffed shoulders and a cream cote fastened around the bodice. All in all, she was just another British girl that looked like she was enjoying the day like any other in the country.

Naruto stared at her in a daze of sorts, not used to seeing this side of Arturia, having grown accustomed to the usual clothes she wore. Seeing this Arturia blushed before she spoke up, "I, uh… I chose this for its simplicity. But I still have doubts about this…"

"Not at all!" Naruto snapped out of his stupor while he suppressed a twitch at the side of his mouth away, already backing up her appearance, "No one will even think that you're the king wearing that. I mean, it… it looks perfect on you. Uh, in that… girly sort of way. Yeah!"

Arturia dipped her down a bit in embarrassment, "I'm sorry for not appearing more like a woman to you…"

Naruto shook his head quickly before trying to explain things, "No, you're beautiful whatever you wear, it's just that, well, you always pretend to be a guy in front of other people. Now though, now you can look more like a girl than before. You can be a woman." He recalled Jiraiya pulling him off to the side and telling him he was an idiot for telling Sakura she hadn't changed at all in the three years of their training, despite believing that Sakura was always a woman in his eyes.

Arturia, on the other hand, seemed to have no confidence in her girlish appearance, as she downplayed it rather than accept things; most likely all in due to her upbringing to have the mindset of a man as well as a knight, to lead the country.

Said king had raised her head back up in surprise that Naruto had complimented her in such a way. Arturia held no value of such things, and it honestly came as a surprise. She blushed as she looked away briefly before a small smile graced her features that Naruto thought was _WAY_ too adorable in his eyes, "Thank you…" Arturia replied quietly. Other than that, she had no idea how to deal with such things…

A knock on the door alerted them to someone possibly walking in on their situation, but with luck… "Excuse me, your majesty? May I come in?" came the measured baritone of Lancelot from the other side of the door.

Arturia bucked up to regain her 'kingly' tone, "You may enter."

The Knight of the Lake opened the door to see both his king and friend in commoner clothes, causing him to arch a brow in curiosity, "Might I inquire as to what the two of you are about to do?"

Naruto picked the basket from atop the chest and made his way over to Arturia's side all the while he gently interlocked their hands with one another, "Well, the king and I are going out on a date today before we begin our assault on the north. And we uhh…" This was getting awkward, Lancelot just held a straight face the entire time he was explaining things.

Then Arturia stepped in to finish things, "Naruto was about to ask you if you would aid us in keeping this a secret from everyone else." Merlin had informed her of Lancelot's knowledge shortly before Naruto's return from Imaginary Numbers Space.

"I was not aware that you both knew that I knew of your…" Lancelot tried to put it into words that were appropriate for their unique situation, "…affair?"

Naruto sighed, "Pervy Mage knew, and then just mentioned it aloud to himself, though I'm pretty sure he meant for us to hear it."

Lancelot hummed at that bit of news, though he really wasn't all that surprised by it. He had known Merlin to be a crafty person to figure out all the secrets in Camelot, "I see." Placing a hand to his chin, he briefly thought on the matter before he answered, "I can provide aid in keeping your appearances up in the capital, but I will need some help in that regard." Naruto immediately formed two transformed Shadow Clones, each taking both Naruto & Arturia's appearances as they would usually in their blue garbs. Lancelot nodded as he smiled at this, "I think… that this shall work out well."

Naruto gave him a megawatt smile in appreciation all the while Arturia bowed her head slightly in thanks, "Thank you, Sir Lancelot."

Naruto held Arturia's hand as he left their friend with the disguised Shadow Clones, as the ninja activated the Flying Raijin to teleport himself and Arturia to his ideal destination.

* * *

-Somewhere Else-

Arturia had seen Naruto demonstrate his strange teleporting ability, or as he called it the 'Flying Raijin Jutsu', something that he had learned in his youth as a way of connecting with his deceased father on some level. He had also mentioned that it was one of the first pieces of 'Jutsu' he had been able to adapt into Magecraft. Seeing it was one thing, experiencing it was another. As soon as her lover activated the Jutsu, she felt her body lift weightlessly off the ground for but a brief moment, only to plant themselves right back on the ground. Only it wasn't ground, rather it was sand as white as snow in the winter. Arturia took in their surroundings to see that Naruto had teleported them to a beach that was secluded by nearby rock formations, along with flower patches that dotted the shoreline, clear blue water and fresh air that smelt like the autumn turning into winter. It was a place that held a comforting atmosphere for anyone that traveled to this destination if they managed to find it.

"Naruto…"

"I found this place actually while I was out running some errands for Merlin one day…" Naruto had set the basket down while he took out a large blanket to set down for them to eat and relax together, "…it's one of the most beautiful places I'd ever seen in this country, and after we started seeing each other. Well, I thought that maybe you'd like to visit this place one day when we had the time to spare." Once he set the blanket down, Naruto sat down to begin setting the plates down for them to eat their lunch.

Arturia sat down as she merely gazed at the food Naruto managed to prepare for them in just a few short hours, Shadow Clones no doubt making things all the easier as well as faster to complete. Naruto had prepared Menemen from Byzantium with sumac yoghurt for himself, spiced roast plum and almond French toast for Arturia, and as for dessert; a simple dessert consists of custard mixed gooseberries, raspberries and rhubarb. Naruto looked up to see that his date was practically drooling on one side of her mouth at the sheer sight of what he prepared for them. He chuckled before he spoke up, "Arturia, you're drooling over on your left side."

Arturia blinked out of her gaze, feeling a little embarrassed, she quickly wiped the left side of her mouth before she responded, "I…! That was…!" She gazed down briefly at the food before she looked straight at Naruto with Bright red cheeks, "I was merely inspecting your food, I mean... I have no doubt it will be delicious, but that drool was merely a—a reaction? I just…" She was quickly cut off by Naruto as he inched over to kiss her on the cheek.

"I know, I know." He could see that Arturia's pride was taking a slight blow from the embarrassment, so he felt the need to try and help her out of the situation, all the while stealing a kiss from her, "You were merely inspecting the quality of the food by sight, just to make sure that nothing seemed out of place or bring something to my attention." The Apostle hummed in satisfaction with Arturia relaxing after he 'explained' her reaction to their lunch.

The two ate in tranquility, as the waves gently rolled across the sand all the while Naruto contemplated on the next idea he had for their date, though he noticed that Arturia would take a few brief glances every now and then over to the beach. No doubt she wanted to go put her feet in the water, to feel the rush of the waves wash over her, "You know..." Naruto spoke up to grab her attention, "…if you want to go play in the waves, even just a little bit, we can do that."

It seemed that the more Arturia was away from her kingly duties, the more she acted like a girl her age honestly would, "We, can? I hope we have enough time for—"

"We have plenty of time, don't worry. Lancelot and my clones are handling things well enough, and I'm sure of that." Naruto waved off her concerns as this date was meant to help ease her mind, along with getting Arturia to relax before she dips her hands in her uncle's blood.

Arturia had gobbled up her food quickly after hearing that, placing her finished plate down before she took her boots off and sat up to make her way over to the shoreline where the waves gently washed upon the white sands that made up the beach. Ever so slowly, the young girl inched over to the water as the waves came down upon her feet, bringing forth a rather relaxing sensation that washed away whatever tense feelings she had about today. She closed her eyes as she allowed the stress to wash away, but suddenly she felt a pair of arms wrap around her; Naruto's no doubt after having finished up his own food and putting it away. The ninja planted a small kiss on the crook of her neck that made her giggle a little due to his breath running down her neck tickling her, "I wish that this moment could last forever…" Arturia said to herself more than to Naruto.

The ninja halted the kiss as he placed his chin atop her head, making their appearance a little comical, if a little romantic, but an idea popped into his head… Naruto quickly scooped Arturia up; she became confused as he held her bridal style and started making his way out further into the water all the while applying chakra to his feet, "N-Naruto! What are you doing?!" Now Arturia was holding onto Naruto for dear life with all her strength. Even though she had the blessings from the Lady of the Lake, she couldn't help but be slightly afraid of falling into the water.

"Hehe…" The ninja tried to adjust his head so he could see properly since Arturia wrapped her arms around his neck as tight as can be, "We're going water walking, of course. I'd ask if you'd want to dance, but I don't think the waves will let us."

Indeed, the waves while gentle weren't in the best condition for doing just that. Naruto would've had her keep her feet atop his own as they danced across the water as if they were in a ballroom. A large wave came their way as Arturia silently clamored up for Naruto to take them back to the beach, "Naruto!" She couldn't help but smile slightly at how things were going if her lover wasn't who he was.

"Don't worry!" He was preparing to make a jump over the wave to give his girlfriend a little excitement for the date, "Trust me, this'll be fun!" Naruto grinned ear to ear with the wave incoming straight at them. Despite how the water was not a vampire's best friend, Naruto applied Reinforcement to his legs as he bent down slightly to leap high above the wave and into the air.

Arturia yelped as they rose high above the wave, only to start laughing as they came down with the water splashing them a bit. Naruto looked to see that while Arturia wanted to keep going, she really wanted to get back onto solid ground with an idea popping into the Apostle's head…

"Want to see something that I always did back in my old home, and what I see every day?" Naruto had made his way back over to the shoreline to set Arturia down.

Now that was something Arturia was curious about, "What is it?"

She turned just enough to where she could make out the grin on his face, "Grab your boots, and I'll show you."

Letting her go, Arturia rushed back over to the basket that Naruto had already packed up to put her boots back on, as the ninja slowly made his way towards her. Picking up the basket, Naruto held out his hand to Arturia who dusted herself off after getting her boots back on, "Ok, I'm ready." Grasping his hand firmly, Naruto teleported them to their next destination.

* * *

-Elsewhere-

The Flying Raijin kunai that was embedded into the stone ground vibrated before a flash of white appeared before it. Arturia had known that the mountain range off to the west raised high above Camelot; however, the view it provided that now was stunning. Now they stood on a significant cliff edge that was large enough to hold a few dozen people on it. She could see the silver palace almost finished coupled with the farmlands, houses, the park as well as the river gleaming through the city; even the cemetery & memorial that would soon be completed were all an awe-inspiring sight. The people going in and out of the city along with the houses that dotted the parts of land that were prime for living appeared to be ants to the naked eye.

"That's some view, huh?" Naruto said as he still held her hand. Arturia could only nod, as words were not enough to describe that her dream was almost at completion, all the while, she gazed at the capital. Naruto had let go of her hand, as he set the basket down to rummage through it before he pulled out something new, "I got something for you, Arturia."

She turned her head to see that Naruto produced a bouquet of colorful flowers, "They're beautiful." Arturia took the flowers as she sniffed their fragrance, "These flowers smell wonderful."

The ninja rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, "I… well I picked a few of them from some places I found, some at the beach, while a few others from a flower shop down in the marketplace." Several of them were rare roses that could only be found in hidden places on the island that he needed to break the sound barrier to get them in time before this moment. He silently thanked Ino for those lessons with preparing flowers for someone during his spare time when he was bored out of his mind on his days off from work.

"Thank you…" Arturia responded, "…I will have these placed in the window back in my room once we return to the palace." Turning back to Camelot, Arturia sat down at the edge as she placed the flowers next to her, with Naruto doing the same with the basket. The two sat in silence for a minute before Arturia spoke up again, "It truly is a sight to behold."

Naruto nodded in agreement, "Back in my home, there was the Hokage monument with their faces carved into a mountain like this." He began reminiscing all those times when he was younger, "Everyday, I'd head up to those heads and sit there looking down at the village that I'd be in charge of when I became the Hokage. I'd think '_When I'm Hokage, no one will look down on me ever again, they have to acknowledge me!'_" He remembered sitting atop the faces once again after his defeat of Pain, to see the village was slowly rebuilding before the war broke out and that Danzo douche took control temporarily as the unofficial Hokage, though Naruto never actually met him before Sasuke had killed him.

"But then after everything started to get closer to the war, I'd think instead _'I'm gonna lead the village into a bright & peaceful future. A future without war or suffering, a place where everyone can smile and the other villages would side-by-side with us.'_, 'cause honestly, I think deep down, that's what I really wanted to do." Jiraiya's ideal had sunk deep into Naruto after his death, coupled with how much wrong he saw with the way the ninja world was, he wanted to break the constant fighting & mistrust that had been sewn in for generations.

"A future without war or suffering…" Arturia said to herself, "…that's a beautiful dream." Ever since Ector had begun training her to be a knight and king, he would take her out on travels with Kay to show her what all Britain was suffering from. The images of burning villages, raids and corrupt officials played back in her mind at how she desperately wanted to change this status quo of perpetual chaos. It was then that Arturia made her decision to save her people, to help build a better tomorrow, and to ensure that all of her efforts, as well as the efforts of those who would serve her would not be in vain. Camelot was that ideal, or rather a stepping stone to that dream she held and still held to this day.

"Naruto."

"Hmm?"

"I'd like to stay here, just for a little while longer." The view she had of Camelot was something she never wanted to forget.

Naruto said nothing as they both sat in the comforting silence of one another, all the while they leant up against one another like a couple merely enjoying the day.

* * *

-Arturia's Room-

After the two lovers fell in silence atop the mountain range, both had fallen asleep as nightfall had come and the day was coming to an end, with tomorrow being the day they would plan for their siege of the north. Now, Naruto had teleported them back to Arturia's room with their appearances of the Shadow Clones retiring for the evening to their quarters and dispersing with nothing of any importance occurring in the day, as Lancelot helped keep things relatively quiet.

"I really enjoyed today, even if we fell asleep up there," Naruto said.

Arturia smiled as she held his hand, all the while she had been dreaming someday that the two of them living in some quiet cottage in the countryside with a few children running around. It was just a dream, but a dream she wished could be fulfilled.

But fate was simply too cruel to them.

Naruto cleared his throat briefly before speaking again, "Well, I uhh… should probably get back to my room and put things up." Gesturing with the basket that he jiggled while Arturia brought up the flowers, placing them on the chest.

However, she stopped momentarily to see the book that Merlin had given to her earlier this morning… and it made her wonder… were they in the right time do such things? They had been sleeping in the same bed together many times in secret, as they kept their secret hidden, no doubt with Merlin along with Lancelot's aid, to which she had no idea up until today… but now after reading that, and with no doubts in her mind that Naruto was the one person she loved from the bottom of her heart… "Wait, Naruto."

The Apostle turned back to face her before he left her room, "Is something wrong, Arturia?" That look of innocent concern crossed his face that she found romantic about him, even if he had no real idea what he was doing in the first place.

She slowly mustered up her courage to start things up, "Would you be so kind as to place a barrier that keeps sound from leaving this room?" Arturia knew that if things did go that way, then there would be quite the commotion buzzing about in the city.

Naruto arched a brow in confusion, but he went ahead to turn to the door placing a hand over it to do as his love requested, "Alright, barrier's in place." Turning back to Arturia, Naruto wanted to know what she was asking for exactly, "Why did you ask me to do that?"

Heading over to the bed, Arturia sat down as she patted next to her for Naruto to do the same, "There's something I want to ask you… but… I wanted to make sure there were… precautions, just in case…"

Naruto sat next to Arturia, as he set the basket down, but she quickly took his left hand and squeezed it. Something she only did unless she was very nervous about something, "In case of what? Are you alright?"

Arturia nodded before she took a deep breath and breathed out to steel herself for what was to come, "We have been sleeping together in secret many times in these past two years." She turned to Naruto to look him straight in the eyes; a gesture that made his heartbeat accelerate with blood rushing to his face, "And I know that the future is uncertain, along with how more than likely politics will get in the way of things. I enjoyed today. For once, I was able to be a young girl and enjoy our love to its fullest." She turned slightly as she clasped her right hand over Naruto's, "For tonight, and if we ever can again before it can never happen again… I have a proposal…" The sound of the wind rushing by the window was all they could hear before Arturia spoke again, "…make love to me, Naruto."

Silence.

Absolute. Deafening. Silence.

It was all Naruto could hear, as his heart raced at the speed at which he ran. He thought that he'd have a heart attack if it went any faster. But… she did have many points. How long would it be before their positions forced them never to allow them to sleep in the same bed? How long before their secret affair was exposed?

All secrets came to light eventually, no matter how deep you buried them. Far too many examples came to mind…

But despite all this, his emotions got the better of him as tears dripped from his eyes; not those of sadness, but rather those of happiness. Naruto closed his eyes as he smiled brightly, "I… there's no one else in the world, that I'd make love to." He gripped Arturia's hands as she shed a single tear sensing his answer proper, "You're right. There's no telling how much time we'll have after the upcoming battles. I know that our love will still endure, but let's make the most of it tonight while we still can."

**{LEMON START}**

Both lovers wiped their tears away as Arturia stood up to head to her closet. But she turned back briefly to speak again before closing the door, "Please look away until I tell you to, Naruto." Her voice was fleeting, yet it held happiness of what was to come.

Arturia shut the door, allowing them both time to get ready. This would be their first time making love to one another, and while Naruto didn't have any real experience, he did pick up on some things back during his training trip with Jiraiya. Let it be known that proofreading erotica gave one ideas of what to use in bed. Naruto began took his boots off, followed by his own clothes dropping into a pile on the carpet; he felt his body begin to shiver and they hadn't even done a thing yet. He was all too nervous about what was to come between them.

He heard some ruffling from inside the closet but did not turn to look since Arturia did ask him to keep his gaze away until she asked him to do so. The door opened with small footsteps coming closer up behind him, Arturia's voice entering his ears as he felt her warm breath tickled against his back, "I'm done now, Naruto. You can look."

Naruto did as she asked, only to truly see just how feminine she looked underneath her clothing. Her skin held a creamy tan that spoke of good health, yet it made her appear to glow in the darkness making everything else fall away before his eyes. Her thighs looked soft & supple, like those of a goddess; however, there was clear muscle showing through. Instead of swelling to the surface like some Amazon, they were well-toned like those of the kunoichi he remembered. As for her breasts, they were not overly large nor were they small sitting at a modest B cup; their swell conforming uniformly to a succulent teardrop shape. It reminded Naruto of a sweet treat he had salivated over on a warm summer's day, capped with cherry red nipples.

All of the worries Naruto had, anxiety born of uncertainty, were swept away upon seeing her bare like this. His mind became a blank upon seeing Arturia's beauty.

"Arturia…"

Arturia blushed at his tone, sensing that he too was surprised by her body's reveal having always kept it hidden under multiple layers of clothing. But she did not let this deter her, "I know that neither of us has experience in this situation… but I have been… reading on how..." her face reddened with each passing word as her words drifted off into unintelligible mumbling.

Naruto's heart jumped into triplicate digits at the proclamation, "Y-You h-h-have…?" She was too damn adorable and beautiful for him to even fully register what she just said. His body, on the other hand, clearly did as he felt the blood rush downwards towards his nether regions, his arousal becoming known by the rising down below.

The bare king nodded as she placed her hands on the vampire's chest, "Merlin… that man… he gave me a book on the matter." She wanted to murder the half-Incubus but found that right now she didn't care. Seeing that Naruto was frozen in place, she let out a snort of laughter at how what many would consider a monster was brought low by but a glance before she spoke again, "Having you stand up before we start is troubling." She pushed him down onto the bed to where he was sitting down once again, "Let me take the lead."

Caught off guard by her boldness, Naruto could do little more than be dragged along for the ride when Arturia planted her lips against his own. It was sloppy and lacked technique, but he could _feel _the passion in the way her body moved against his glibly, seeking to find harmony amid a torrent of uneasiness and first-time jitters. He waited until an opening appeared in the sloppy lip word before reciprocating in kind, lips gliding against one another in a tantric dance that grew more heated with each passing moment.

As time passed the erratic nature of their makeout session began to be succeeded by a slower but more measured movements that sent shocks of electricity up each of their spines. Feeling emboldened by the cute moans that his partner was letting out from their coupling, Naruto slowly snaked a hand around Arturia's waist while the other trailed fingers through her spun gold hair. Trailing a lone finger down her spine, taking the time to trace each vertebra the digit caressed, Naruto found his hand resting on the soft tissue of Arturia's ass and with no warning, save a predatory growl, he squeezed. Arturia's mouth opened in a deep moan of appreciation, the feeling unexpected but welcome, and in this moment, Naruto pounced.

Capturing her open mouth in a kiss, Naruto ran his tongue across his lover's lower lip as if asking permission to enter, something that Arturia allowed promptly, her own tongue sliding out to tangle with the Apostle. There was no battle for dominance as the wet muscles tangled, only a mutual dance of pleasure that produced muffled sounds of appreciation from both of them. Naruto could sense all of it, the taste of cinnamon on the tip of her tongue and salty sweat that brushed against them as they continued to grind against one another. Feel her heartbeat from the blood running beneath her skin and even the sweet scent of her growing arousal permeating the room. It was intoxicating, like being placed before a glass of water after walking through a desert.

Was this what vampiric impulses were like? Maybe, but Naruto did not desire to drain this fire of passion into himself like a parasite, no he wanted to kindle this flame of passion, so it warmed both of them. A sentiment that was confirmed when Arturia mashed her breasts into his chest to deepen the kiss, her hardening nipples lighting fires within him.

After another minute of heavy french kissing and groping from both parties, the need for oxygen forced them to break the liplock. Both gasped in air and shared a longing gaze, "Wow.." Naruto broke the silence with a small smile that Arturia mirrored. The late evening light filled the room and played across her skin like fae dancing around their goddess, and Naruto did not blame them, for what more could she be in this moment than a goddess? Arturia's eyes crinkled in half-lidded bliss before she slowly pulled back from Naruto, much to his confusion. He followed her up as she progressed down until she knelt between his knees.

Naruto looked down to see Arturia look down at his turgid member, with a small smile gracing her beautiful features, "Wait, what're you—?"

"It's alright…" Arturia interrupted, "…I know that you're nervous, and I'm nervous as well but...I want to try this. I want to explore my lover's body and leave my mark upon it." she purred musically, emerald meeting ruby yet shining with more radiance than any star. "I love you Naruto Uzumaki, and now I can show it."

The next thing Naruto knew before his mind went blank and lost his voice, was feeling Arturia wrap her fingers around his member as if it were a precious piece of treasure. Blood continued to rush down further at the actions all the while Arturia merely touched it, "It got harder after I took hold of it." She mused before slowly giving it a single pump; with that stroke, it hardened further.

"W-wait… Arturia…" Naruto tried to ask her to stop but found that he genuinely couldn't. He didn't want her to stop at all. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

He placed a hand on her shoulder, only for Arturia to look back up to him, "It's alright, Naruto. As I said: I want this. Let me take care of you for once." Arturia directed her attention back down to his hardened member to kiss the tip of his shaft. It twitched out of instinct before Arturia spoke again, "Here we go."

Naruto had let go of Arturia's shoulder as he gripped the bedsheets instead to try and control himself before he felt her warm, wet mouth cover the tip of his cock.

She was giving him head?!

Just what kind of damned book did Merlin give her?!

Arturia braced her hands on Naruto's inner thighs to spread his legs apart slowly as she slowly took more into her mouth, "Mmmm… Oh—uhm, Naruto, don't worry…" She mumbled in between her 'kisses' as he was referring to these as, "…You make me feel wanted… let me do the same for you."

Naruto felt something touch the tip of his cock; something wet, yet it was both rough & soft to feel. Arturia was now caressing his tip with her tongue as if she were eating ice cream in some strange manner. He could feel each and every one of her taste buds caress the sensitive flesh in excruciating detail.

"Ah…" Naruto felt the ecstasy run through his body at the sensation Arturia's tongue was bringing to him. His back arched from the pleasure coursing through his being that was already numb from any form of reason.

Arturia continued her tongue work as his cock now became fully erect and ready for the deed to be done, "Hm… hmmm. You've gotten bigger… that's good." Arturia's were robotic, but the desire in her voice belayed it. She was falling back on technical terms and battlefield rhetoric because she could not articulate these new experiences. Her grip on his cock tightened slightly. Now she began to go back and forth with her mouth, as she stroked her fingers in unison, all the while she kept her tongue licking the head before it moved downwards. Naruto's a bead of precum dripped from the tip of his cock, touching Arturia's tongue and yielding a widening of the eyes, "Hmm… oh, Naruto. You're getting wet… ku…mmm… don't hold back…"

The taste was not anything significant with perhaps a hint of saltiness and a consistency a hairsbreadth thicker than water, but the thought that she had inspired a reaction from her lover made Arturia practically quiver in happiness.

Now Arturia started to bring his cock deeper into her mouth, her motions making a wet slurping sound was something that made Naruto only gasp in pleasure. He could not put his finger on what he liked expressly, but rather the whole experience was pleasurable. Arturia's saliva began to escape her lips, leaving trails of it on his member that mixed with his precum; it only made the wet noise all that much more obscene. She began to go a little slower before her tongue began to lick the pay attention to certain areas, causing more gasps from both parties. She stopped momentarily to look up to Naruto as he was caught briefly in a daze before he shook his head clear, "Should I go slower…?" Arturia said, blowing her warm breath on his cock again that got a few twitches as it hardened up even further, "…or should I be gentler?" Her voice spoke of someone unsure of themselves.

"Agh! Uhhh… this is…" Naruto's mind could barely comprehend that the gentle girl he loved would get so passionate about something as lewd as this. But then again, they were trying to make the most of this night, and it seemed that Arturia did not want any moment of it to go to waste. The ecstasy was raging inside of him, a heady mix of hormones and pride tempted him to be aggressive, like an animal taking what was rightfully his. But he had to resist that urge to do so, he may be a vampire but he would not lower himself to the status of an animal devoid of logic for the sake of a quick rut. This was the woman he had fallen for, and he was going to show it!.

The pleasure was both intense & satisfying to feel; Naruto couldn't help but simply let Arturia continue with the lead as she slowed down before she moved both her hands around his back while she moved her lips back up further to the tip but keeping a good amount of his cock in her mouth. He felt a drip of saliva drop from the apex if her pink lips to his thighs and he all but lost control.

Naruto tried to pull back before the pleasure overcame him, but Arturia pulled him back towards her, seeing that she didn't want to stop until she reached a certain point, "No… I'm not… done…" She gripped his cock again before she began to stroke it softly, "…not yet…"

"But I'm gonna…" Arturia went back to the speed that Naruto seemed to prefer, as she moved up and down his shaft within her mouth. She hummed as if she sensed what he was about to say. He was about to cum in her mouth, sensing that he couldn't take it anymore. His back began to arch and almost give out from coming close to his release.

"Fu… ahh, it's… alright…" She spoke when she could in between strokes, "…I can feel… mmmm… that you're… hm… agh… still tense…" Arturia was devoted to her diligence, and it showed, Naruto briefly touched her shoulders to feel that her entire body was bathed in sweat born of work and arousal. He himself was the same, though he was on the verge of something else. Feeling a tightening in his balls and a sudden rise in pleasure, Naruto's eyes widened in recognition of what was about to happen, and he had to tell her, "I-I'm cumming!"

Arturia acted quickly as she suddenly let go of his cock just before climax, grunt in desperation mixed longing. However, when Naruto looked down at Arturia he saw a mote of mischief dancing in her eyes, "I felt that if you released now before we truly begin, then it wouldn't be as satisfying." Naruto grimaced but let out a snort of laughter at the foxlike deception, his groin aching from having been edged by a novice. He collapsed back onto the bed as Arturia proceeded on.

The king got up from her position beginning to crawl up onto the bed above Naruto where she planted a kiss on his lips, seemingly rejuvenating him before she continued to crawl to the bed head and turned back to Naruto as she laid down, "Now, onto-uah!?"

Arturia let out a squeak, and Naruto bolted up and wrapped his arms around Arturia, reversing the position so that he was the one on top, looking down at her with barely restrained hunger and glowing red eyes. "That wasn't very nice leaving me hanging like that." Naruto ground out, his eyes like smoldering embers in the fading light of the evening. "But I think that maybe you should be attended to, _my King!" _Arturia let out a full-body shiver at his husky tone.

Sanguine orbs picked out that Arturia's eyes were a little hazy and unfocused, but she directed her attention towards him all the same. Her breathing was heavy as her chest rose up and down quickly, yet slowly at the same time, seeing that her own stamina was being pushed to the limits. At that moment he could tell you exactly how much blood was flowing through every vein in her body, how many directions her eyes pointed in the space of a second or even the number of synapses firing in her brain. None of it mattered, for she had done right by him and he would be damned if he couldn't return the favor.

Seeing that she had spread her legs to showcase her maidenhood. A small patch of blonde hair existed; however, it was neatly done & well-trimmed; it seemed that she did her own grooming down there as well. The ninja dove his head to her slit as his mind began to come back to reality briefly, though the pain in his groin area was still there, it was secondary to the need to cause pleasure as opposed to taking it. He inhaled deeply to breathe in the scent of her flower and the nectar that leaked lethargically from the neat folds of her labia, blowing against it lightly and grinning in delight at seeing the twitches from his lover's core. Arturia forgot to breathe as the anticipation of what was to come overcame her, then releasing a full-blown moan when Naruto traced the nether lips with his tongue. "Uuughh! Naruto!"

Receiving head had made Naruto a little parched, and since he was sweating, then this would be an excellent way to quench his thirst. Arturia shivered as she felt his tongue slowly part her maidenhood and enter the sacred garden, "Naruto…" She gripped the sheets of the bed to keep any knee jerk reactions from heading to her other hand that was currently gripping Naruto's hair, "…t-thank you, but…" He began to push and prod at the slick silken walls sending an all-new form of pleasure through her, "…please… be gentle…"

"I, hm… I'll be gentle… mmmm…" Naruto said in between breaths as he continued to explore inside her slit, already beginning to taste her core. It was a paradoxical mix of salty and sweet that was truly unique.

"…kuh, ah…!" Naruto had slid his tongue deeper into her slit, rolling his tongue in a maddening dance that made her eyes bug out cartoonishly. Considering how much was already beginning to leak out, she may have been turned on more so than he previously thought while she was giving him head. Naruto decided to caress her thighs as he continued to tongue her walls that excreted the clear fluid from her body.

"Ahh…!" Arturia jerked her body a bit after Naruto found a sensitive area on her inner thighs that made her moan loudly. He lapped up the juice to quench his thirst, not caring about the taste or the source; he was too caught up in the pleasure to really think all that straight. The smell of her pussy made Naruto all the more aroused as he felt his cock stiffen up more with precum dripping once again onto the bed along with the bestial hunger clawing at his inhibitions once again, "…haa, ah… ahhh, huh, huh…" Arturia moaned from the tactile tongue as Naruto continued to eat her out, all the while drinking her nectar; it plastered the exterior of her slit, as it began to drip onto the bed, making a noticeable wet spot, even in the dimly lit room. Her hair tickled his nose, but it did not deter him, instead keeping his focus on pleasuring her.

He cared not of what he currently consumed, for to Naruto it was the nectar of the gods and little more than a reward for dutiful servitude to his Goddess.

But Naruto didn't have enough. Feeling that he could get deeper, he slid his tongue further into her pussy to gorge on her; she seemed to sense what he was doing as she let go of his hair before she brought her legs to wrap around his head to help the ninja go deeper into the king, "…fuh! Y-You're… going deeper… inside…?!" There was no pain in her tone. Only pleasure was present within as Arturia's body relaxed from the sensation of Naruto tasting & moving within her deep inner walls.

Naruto nodded to add a few extra motions to the ones he was already making, "…Mmmhmmm… I think that… it's only fair…"

Arturia felt her own climax approaching due to just how sensitive the area her lover was pushing it; she let her legs loose a bit while still keeping them wrapped around Naruto's body, she touched his head to have him lift from his gorging, "I-I'm… almost there… huh?" She blinked briefly, showcasing that her eyes were starting to glaze over with instinct slowly taking over. She gasped as Naruto traced his fingers across her inner thighs that made her gasp & shiver from the pleasure it brought her, throwing her limbs out to stretch while relaxing for them to finish things up.

She was pulled from her trip to cloud nine when Naruto unceremoniously pulled his tongue from within her. "What!?" Arturia cried from her position on the edge of Nirvana, her voice full of want and need. She met Naruto's gaze and saw his face literally glowing with vulpine mischief. His face was easy to read even in her arousal addled state. '_You deserved that for leaving me in the same situation', _and it was something she could not deny.

Naruto himself licked his lips as he wiped away any excess nectar, noting that he no longer felt thirsty, seemingly satisfied by Arturia's slick. Arturia looked up to the ceiling briefly before she looked back to Naruto and gestured that it was time, "I'm ready…" She reached down to caress his cheek as she continued talking, "…this… I want this to mean something… between us… our love for one another…"

Her lover understood well enough what this would mean; that this would be the consummation of their love for one another. The cruel fate was because of their status as both a woman posing as a king, and a Dead Apostle, was that they could never have children together, not in the traditional way or even be open about it. But nevertheless, this was something that they meant to have together from the bottom of their hearts, "I know…"

His member and her pussy were already soaked & twitching in anticipation as Naruto slowly crawled up to Arturia's face, planting butterfly kisses on her body from below her waist, up her stomach, her breasts as he kissed her nipples ever so softly with Arturia wondering if that was but a tinge of how mothers, as well as wet-nurses, felt when breastfeeding children. Finally, Naruto arrived up to her face as they stared into their eyes, gazing into their souls seeing the beauty in each other; closing their eyes, the lovers kissed passionately as Naruto placed his cock's head right onto Arturia's slit garnering her to moan slightly from the sensation. She broke off the kiss before she looked nervous before Naruto placed another kiss on her lips before speaking again, "Don't worry… it'll hurt at first. But then it will feel good soon."

Arturia nodded as she understood what was to come briefly and then pass, "Go ahead…" She planted a small kiss on his lips one last time before Naruto slowly inched his member through her lips. A wet sound followed with their slicked sex's gliding to meet one another; he inched his cock further and further right up until he made contact with her hymen, sensing that she was preparing for the pain of it breaking, "…I'm ready, Naruto."

Naruto thrust his member through the hymen quickly as Arturia yelped in pain before she settled down as she threw her arms around his neck, bringing him down to her face with Naruto giving her kisses on the lower neck, "Ahhh…. Naruto…"

"It's alright, Arturia…" The ninja said before halting his kissing, "…the pain will pass; I'll stay for as long as it takes." Blood trickled out from their union, Naruto remaining still as the sharp pain of being deflowered pulsed into dullness with each passing minute. Arturia buried her face into Naruto's neck to ride out the waves of pain, and he simply embraced her, with her every step of the way. After half a minute had passed the pain had abated to the point where Arturia was ready to continue. She nodded into Naruto's chest to signal him to continue, feeling him begin a slow pumping within her.

Arturia moaned in ecstasy with passion and surprise laced within her tone, showing that already the pain was merely an afterthought with joy taking its place.

Arturia had kept her legs wrapped around Naruto to allow him to move up from his previous position, only to now rewrap them around his waist, "Oh Naruto… you wish…" She said huskily into Naruto's ear, "…I am yours tonight… just as much as you are mine…" Naruto kept moving slowly back and forth inside of her, all the while Arturia traced her hands across his body, feeling all of the scars he accumulated over the years, especially the fist-sized, starburst scar that was permenant on the right side of his chest and back.

"But please, cry out my name!."

Naruto continued to go slowly all the while letting Arturia do what she wanted with him, whether it be kissing the bottom of his neck, caressing his body, or wrapping her legs around his waist to keep things going. His cock was like a sensitive nerve that twitched every time he made a thrust or pulled back. He could feel that her walls were beginning to tighten up slightly, as his member began to grow harder, making the pain more distant with this slow rate of thrusting. He would've asked her if it was alright to pick up speed, but then her words of doing what he wished came back to his mind, "Arturia, you are mine... and I am yours!"

"Mnn, ahhh… please… more…"

Seeing that she was alright with things, Naruto thrust inside her womanhood at a quicker pace. Each time she let out a moan filled with pleasure, as he increased the tempo, something that she took joy in. Words passed between them at every other moment, from sordid exclamations of delight to sweet nothings whispered in the ear, as Arturia's arms were placed to the sides of her head, "Ah, ahh, hah…!" Even in the dark room, Naruto could see that her white skin had become flushed over the course of their lovemaking, along with the bed comforter having several wet spots signifying just how hot they had become coupled with the fluids they were creating from the act.

The next thing Naruto knew, was that Arturia's walls were now moving in a very different fashion than before. "Arturia, what're you—"

He looked to her for an answer as she moaned out in between words, "I… I want you—my love… ahh! To feel good… like—guh! As I… do…" Arturia bucked her hips as he felt her climax grow nearer, with his their lovemaking having made her tight passage all but frictionless. A loud moist slapping of flesh followed next as they disregarded it, with both finding it rather attractive in a way; a sign to Naruto that he could go faster, "D-deeper!" Arturia shouted into his shoulder as she pulled herself up for a but a second to keep her pride & dignity, to avoid sounding like a sexual Goddess.

Dragon blood & heart or not, she was still human, and she wanted to maintain her rationality in regards to keeping her sexual desires in check, if but barely.

"Haa—ua, ah, ahn, ahh—!" Naruto looked down to Arturia with a slight bit of concern at the possibility that he was causing her pain, however she shook her head as she wished for him to continue, "…uha… ah… haa… I-I will be fine… Naruto… I'm so close, please!"

The rational part of Naruto's mind shut down at that point with only the urge to make love to Arturia, and Arturia alone. Sexual desire began to overtake him as Naruto raised her hips and thrust as deep and as hard as he could into his love, "…ugh! Yes! I-I can feel you… deep inside…!" He couldn't tell if she was screaming in pain or pleasure. Maybe both? Either way, Naruto kept pumping into Arturia as the wet slaps of their lovemaking filled the room. Her pussy was tight to the point where Naruto felt that he was dipping his cock into a velvety vice.

Arturia threw her arms around Naruto's head with her fingers interlocking withing his spiky golden mane, as if she felt that she was going to be sent into the bed head if he continued to thrust into her womanhood. Like a lioness that claimed a fox and refused to let go of her claim.

Naruto could feel that tightness building within him once again and knew what was about to happen, "I—I'm… agh! About to… cum… huh, agh!"

It seemed that Arturia was about to reach her climax as well, more than likely what she wanted in the beginning of their lovemaking, "Nha, ha…! Ahh, yeah, ahn, uhh, ha… ahh—together!" A few tears leaked from her eyes, as Naruto's cock hardened up Arturia tightened up her walls as Naruto continued to thrust into her at his current rate, "Please… I'm cumming, Naruto!"

That last emotion-fueled and passion-filled shout drove Naruto over the edge and broke whatever dam was left in Arturia's sex.

Naruto climaxed with an exclamation of unabashed ecstasy that harmonized with Arturia's own call, a choir of pleasure singing to the heavens above and the underworld below of the union of two lovers. The torrent of cum blasted forth like a cannon into her depths, joined by thick streams of a rolling climax. The feeling of her lover reaching climax triggered Arturia's own, throwing her head back as she came and clamped down on Naruto's shaft to milk him for all he was worth. White stars burst into existence within her version as she was carried on wave upon wave of orgasmic bliss.

She pulled him into her with her arms and legs as his cock was buried deep within her womanhood, letting out a sigh of post-coital contentment with both riding out the high of love. Gaining back some sense, Arturia brought his head down to her face as they kissed with Naruto shedding a few tears of his own. Naruto felt himself begin to grow soft within his lover but made no move to pull out. At that moment, regardless of past or future, all was right with the world.

**{LEMON END}**

Naruto lifted his head to see Arturia's eyes glazed over, although she seemed to register him as she gripped his shoulders to see what state he was in, "Naruto… you're trembling." She could feel his entire body shake as he tried to lift himself up but to no avail.

Naruto was too tired to try and get up, despite waving off Arturia's concern, evident in her voice, "I'll uhh… I'll be alright…" He felt Arturia's left hand make its way down to his back while her right gently caressed his head as she planted a kiss on his lips before giving him another on his forehead, guiding him down to nestle his head on her collarbone, near her breasts, all the while she stroked his hair affectionately.

Arturia began to doze off, though not before checking to see that Naruto had already been knocked out from everything, "Huh…" Her eyelids flickered as she turned to see the night sky through the window, if but barely since the heat they were producing had completely fogged it up, "…I have no regrets…" Sleep soon took her into dreams that turned her entire day & night, into Heaven itself.

* * *

-The Next Morning-

The sun rose through the cloudy sky that overcast the capital. Light shined through the windows in Arturia's room with both lovers still sleeping off the night of sordid love without a care in the world. Arturia was the first to wake up when she blinked away the sand in her eyes to feel that Naruto's was still within her, though now soft the presence was quickly felt. She looked to see that the candles had long gone out with the wax having melted down to the nub, making her set a mental note to have them replaced. The scent of sex permeated in the air of the room, Arturia noting that it would take quite a few scented candles to cleanse the place of it in case anyone every did notice it. She highly doubted that would ever occur, but one can never be too careful these days.

The Pendragon king would have been quite content to simply lay there with her lover for the rest of the morning and the hours yet to come, enjoying the dull ache from her core. But knowing that they had quite a bit ahead of them today, Arturia gently brushed her fingers through Naruto's hair who was beginning to stir, "Naruto. It's time to wake up."

"Hmmm?" Naruto groggily opened his eyes to see that the new day had come, with his lover already awake. Huh, even after becoming exhausted after sex, Arturia always was the first to wake up before himself. He lifted himself off her body to remove himself from his lover, only to note that they were both still slightly sticky from before, last night had undoubtedly been messy, "Oh… we had a lot of… fun last night, I'm still feeling fatigued." Getting up on wobbly limbs made things a little difficult for him, as he was sure Arturia was still feeling the same.

Arturia giggled a little before the both of them got up from the opposite sides of the bed, as each seemed to notice something different about the other. Naruto saw that she looked to almost glow in the dawn that made her shine brighter than before, all the while Arturia could see that certain weight had been lifted off the Apostle's shoulders. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to make this a little bit more common…?

"So…"

"So?"

The moment was slightly awkward for them, although that didn't mean they weren't enjoying things already. Naruto was the first to rouse himself from the amused daze they found themselves in, moving to gather his clothes, "We should probably get baths before we see anyone else. Burn the bedsheets as well." Turning to Arturia as he continued to speak, "No telling if anyone'll walk in on us this early, and well…" To be honest, Naruto wasn't sure what to say other than… "…I don't regret what we did last night, Arturia." He said with a straight face as he smiled at her, "I enjoyed it, and I want to keep this going between us as long as we can."

Arturia hummed in agreement as she got up to make her way over to Naruto, wrapping her arms around his neck to bring him down to her level and planting a kiss on his lips, "As do I." The two of them closed their eyes before kissing once more before Arturia spoke up, "Whenever we can, when we have time to just ourselves, we'll make love again." Letting go of Naruto's head, Arturia went over to her closet before she turned her head to speak again, "But right now, I believe that we need to call forth a war meeting to discuss our assault on Vortigern. I think it's time we finally dealt with him and ended the civil unrest."

Naruto closed his eyes his posture slacking before straightening, a severe feeling coming over him as the two returned to being king & loyal retainer, "Very well, let's get down to business!" He said that megawatt smile of his breaking through the stormy disposition.

* * *

A pair of hot baths, along with cleaning up the king's room and a few hours later, Arturia had called for a war meeting to deal with their final enemy in the north.

Currently, she was making her way to the war room with Bedivere alongside her, whose attire had changed a bit within the last two years. While probably the weakest amongst his peers, Bedivere had not slacked off in his training over the years and could still be counted as one of the finest swordsmen in Britain. Therefore he wore his long white cloak with pride as a challenge to any who would fight him, for his skill with a blade was such that not a speck of blood would stain its surface.

Bedivere came to answer the summons by the king, whom he had noticed was rather upbeat today, "My king…" The Knight of the King's Guard spoke up, Arturia turned her head to direct her attention towards her friend and retainer, "…you seem far more positive than you normally do. Did something occur yesterday?" He couldn't deny that he was curious about what caused this good-natured change in her.

Arturia opened her mouth to respond, however, she found that the words weren't coming to her. Closing her mouth being unable to speak properly, Arturia could only mouth some words as Bedivere arched a brow in confusion. Seeing that she couldn't divulge what really happened, even to the one in charge of her protection, Arturia felt it best to skirt around the truth a bit, "Something did happen yesterday, Bedivere. But it is rather…" Her cheeks blushed a bit before she fought it down, hoping Bedivere didn't notice although he did indeed, "…personal, I should say."

Bedivere gave an understanding nod, "Ah, I see then. Then I shan't inquire as to what it was. I assumed that you had taught Periwinkle some trick." Although he had a sneaking suspicion that his magus friend was the one responsible for this change, throughout the years he had known Naruto; the knight had seen him to be a good man, one that he could trust in and out of battle. But ultimately, he had seen that Naruto brought out the best in their king whenever they were together. And for that, he was eternally grateful.

It was ironic. Naruto was a Dead Apostle. Something that they should have killed on the spot, and yet they accepted him, or most of the inner circle accepted him as one of their own. He had seen that Naruto tended to keep his hood up these days to keep the populace from seeing his eyes as they tended to draw adverse reactions from those with closed minds. Then again, Bedivere was a man that always chose to see the good in things, rather than the bad like others would.

They finally arrived at the war room, seeing the rest of the inner circle had been waiting for a few minutes for the king to arrive and begin their final battles.

Arturia strode over to Naruto's left side before she looked down upon the map of the north, where Vortigern lay and the last true enemy they had. Clearing her throat, Arturia decided to begin the meeting as she addressed the inner circle, "Thank you all for coming. I know that our campaign has been a long and bloody one, but we have done a great many things for our country. Today, we shall begin the preparations that will bring us victory over the tyrant that sits in the north."

Turning to Naruto, she motioned for him to lay out the information that his spies had gathered for him, "My spies have managed to find out about the main route that our forces will have to take to move into Vortirgern's fortress." Naruto brought up on the map as he pointed to a dagger jammed into the table, "On the River Tribuit, there's a fortress that allows passage in and out of the lands under the enemy's control. If we can take it down, it'll be easier for us to move in while we take the civilians away from the battlefields. It also prevents Vortigern from expelling us as easily as he would have liked."

"How many men can we expect to be garrisoned there?" Gawain asked.

Naruto brought up a roll of parchment with a few details on the fortress, "At least 8000 men armed and ready to defend it from within, quite a few of them conscripts but the majority veterans." Naruto stated, drawing graons from the knights who knew that veterans were always harder to fight than recruits. "There's a nearby village that has several families living there while they're forced to give quarter to the soldiers." Naruto shook his head at such a thing being cruel to those living there, with other people taking what didn't belong to them under the pretext of 'it's the law', "Then there are the fortifications. Multiple battlements with archers at the ready, catapults set up along the walls, massive doors reinforced with steel, with the structure forcing us to lay siege." Naruto placed the parchment down as he breathed in deeply before giving it to them straight all the while he turned to Arturia, "In all honesty, it may be better for you, my king, to unleash Excalibur's true power to obliterate the fortress to save our men's lives for the assault on Voritgern's main fortress."

Ever since they acquired the swords from Vivian, Arturia, Lancelot & Gawain had been training to understand their swords better to utilize them to their highest potential. Both Arondight & Galatine were impressive blades to be sure, with powers that made them unique in their own right, their abilities being suited for laying waste to entire armies at a time. However, it was Excalibur that had been seen as the strongest of the Fae swords, if not standing over all swords in existence. Merlin had admitted to Naruto that it was likely that Excalibur was the _'Sword of Light that had defended the planet' _from the _'White Titan'_ 12,000 years ago.

After Naruto helped Arturia train in his own sword arts, combat, etc., the ninja magus had taken a lot of notes after studying the blade extensively to the point where he knew just how much power could be generated with Arturia's standard Mana Burst… and holy shit were the calculations something to behold…

Arturia hummed as she patted Avalon before speaking, "I understand. I can demolish the fortress in a single stroke. That should be more than sufficient to obliterate the structure to allow us free reign into the northern lands." When Naruto had told her of Excalibur's destructive potential after she added just her Mana Burst to it, she realized just how dangerous the sword could be, but also saw that it would inspire their army to continue onwards through even the direst of situations.

Ector had stepped forward as he directed everyone's attention to the larger dagger signifying their final goal on Mount Agnes, "That will prove to be especially advantageous when you assault the final fortress. I have a feeling Vortigern will no doubt recall as many of his soldiers to defend it, once you arrive on his doorstep after taking the river fortress." Ector had been drifting more and more into that of an adviser than a combatant ever since his injury two years prior. The man had been adamant to Arturia & Kay to not worry for him as he felt that his time on the battlefield had come to a close, so instead, he chose to take up other duties in service to the kingdom.

Arturia took note of everything that had been spoken of with what they would be facing. However, there was still one thing that concerned her… "Naruto, have your spies managed to discover the truth of the disappearances?"

Naruto shook his head, "I'm sorry, but no. They have not. Whether they were too afraid to find out, or some other means that prevented them from finding the truth, I don't know."

And that was ultimately the one thing no one liked. Information that had yet to be revealed on dark elements such as these vanishings was something they dreaded; leaping into the unknown, only to find a horror that they had yet to encounter. One that would no doubt take many lives.

Their army had amassed to 15,000 strong, all of which were regulars, archers, cavalry, knights, paladins. They had the support and the will of the people to help push them through to garner their trust. The swords they took up for their protection held the light that shone across the lands.

And so, Arturia made her decision…

"In seven days, we will march north to depose Vortigern." She declared, "In these seven days, I want our men to spend time with their friends and family. I don't know what horrors we will face, but if they are to be as dark as we believe them to be, then seeing the warm light of what we have built will do the troops morale some good." Arturia knew that no one should die terribly before seeing their loving family, one last time. The previous day has shown her that such things do one a vast amount of good for the mind, body, soul & heart.

Naruto smiled at her words; concern for the well being of the men under her command showing. Arturia then saluted the inner circle as they left the room to spread the word around the capital of what was to come.

* * *

-Naruto's Workshop-

Not long after the war meeting was dismissed did the inner circle begin to spread the word to those under their command about the seven day grace period before they began the siege, though Naruto had asked Arturia to meet him back at his workshop as he had a gift for her.

Now Naruto stood in front of Arturia with a medium-sized treasure chest, magical energy leaking through the edges of the rim, prompting Arturia to inquire what this was all about, "Naruto, what is in the chest? And why does magical energy emanate from within it?"

Naruto began to undo the latch as he explained, "Well, it's a new set of armor I made for you over the last seven months." Lifting the lid, Naruto showcased a sort of cloth that was colored similar to her royal blues, but that's where the similarities ended. Arturia took the fabric and held it up to her body, showcasing it to be something akin to a leotard, "I managed to enchant the armor to disperse and reapply itself by your command and using your Dragon Core."

Had he forged new armor for her?

That was unexpected, "Thank you, Naruto. But there was no need for you too—"

"Uhp, uhp!" Naruto interrupted her mid-sentence, raising an index finger to make a point, "I have to repay you for the armor you had made for me all those years ago, so now it's my turn." He gestured for her to go ahead and put it on, wanting to know her opinion of it.

Glancing back down to the leotard she held briefly, she relented to Naruto's gift as she went into her closet to put it on. It took a few minutes to get it on, though after doing so… well…

Arturia stepped out to showcase that the leotard hugged her body, showcasing her various curves, along with exposing a bit of her upper chest. Both occupants of the room blushed up a storm, but for multiple reasons. For Naruto, well… granted he had already seen her naked, he found that the leotard made Arturia's sex appeal skyrocket. Whereas with Arturia, she was a little embarrassed to be wearing such a thing during the day. Neither was sure of what to say other than he just began to stutter, "Well, go ahead and umm… use your Prana to don the armor…"

"R-Right!" The embarrassed king stuttered. Channeling her Prana through the leotard, Arturia felt the magical armor apply itself to her body.

The overall design of the armor was similar to Merlin's original creation given that the style of armor construction had been handed down to Naruto through his tutoring on Mystic Code creation. Where it diverged was Naruto's design having a more defined shape and more liberal use of armored sections. The cuirass itself remained the same but was attached to a pair of fully armored arms as opposed to the simple vambraces and gauntlets from before. Whereas the prior gauntlets were multiple plates of metal, Naruto's design involved large yet sleek single metal plates of a curved design for the added shoulder guards and extended greeves.

The armored skirt had been ditched in favor of a blue and gold cavalry 'swing coat' making for a fantastic increase in mobility, the armor instead bulking at the hips for protection.

Then had come the decoration. Periwinkle had been none too pleased when Naruto had come to him one day with a pair of shears, but the big cat had forgiven him when the Apostle had left him alone in a room with a freshly slaughtered cow for the trouble.

At uniform intervals throughout the armor were vast swaths of lion fur, alchemically reinforced to be stronger than steel yet lighter than a feather. The majority of it had been sewn into the prow of the new helm, modeled in the visage of a snarling lion in silvery steel. The golden fur of Periwinkle trailed down the back to look like a true lion's mane.

All in all, she looked more like a Lion King now.

Arturia could only look at the mirror in the room with awe at how well crafted the armor was, making her resemble a lion, "Naruto… this is…" She was without words of this gift, "…thank you." She turned back to the ninja as his blush receded from his cheeks, looking proud at his accomplishment, while happy at her gratitude.

"I had some help from Harrit with the armor design with what I had in mind." Taking several lessons in the forge all those weeks were time well spent in sweat & effort in the overall design.

Arturia could see that her vision wasn't impaired at all by the helm's design. Most likely some form of enchantment by Naruto to allow her full view of her surroundings. She placed the helm back on as she dispersed the armor to change again in her closet, with Naruto now thinking ahead of what they'll be facing; she was acutely aware that Naruto ogled the way the leotard pinched her ass.

Arturia stepped back out with her royal blues; closing the distance between the two of them, she got up on her toes to plant a kiss on Naruto's cheek, "We'll have a week before we enter the fray once again. I thought perhaps it would be best for everyone to be able to spend time with their loved ones." She guided her lover over to the bed that Naruto kept in his workshop to contemplate on how to spend their free time for now, although it seemed that things just weren't as they were meant to be.

A knock on the door signified for the duo to spring up from the bed and distance themselves from one another to keep appearances. Arturia dusted herself off before she cleared her throat, "Enter."

The door opened to reveal that it was Merlin in fact, with Rhongomyniad in hand, "Why hello there…" The flower magus said before stepping inside to shut the door, "…my little students who clearly think that I didn't know about the privacy Bounded Field around this room." Both Naruto & Arturia blushed in embarrassment as Merlin wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at what it was really meant for, "Anyways, let's just ignore that little bit of fun you had and focus on this cute weapon of mass destruction right here." Waving Rhongomyniad in the air.

Naruto had noticed that the power that it emanated once before upon leaving the Imaginary Number Space, was now like that of Excalibur's or perhaps maybe just below it? Naruto was intrigued by this development, "What kind of seal did you use for the lance, Pervy Mage?"

Merlin huffed at the question, seemingly irritated that his apprentice didn't notice that there was more than one on it, "I'll have you know that it took thirteen seals to restrain the lance's power." Naruto was surprised by what his master said. He knew that keeping Rhongomyniad's power in check would take some effort, but for Merlin to place thirteen seals upon a single weapon spoke volumes of just how difficult it was to do so upon a weapon such as this: A Divine Construct.

Just like a few of the Fae artifacts that Vivian had gifted to them. Now while Arondight & Galatine could be considered A-rank, while Excalibur was A++-rank, Avalon and Rhongomyniad went above and beyond the classification system.

Merlin stepped forward to Arturia as he handed the lance over to her since Naruto was the one that had discovered the weapon and had given it to her, Rhongomyniad was rightfully hers. Arturia grasped the lance gently believing that it was best to keep such a weapon handled with care, all the while she wondered if it was possible to draw forth the power it was emanating the day before, "Merlin, how will I be able to use Rhongomyniad's power if you've managed to restrain its power completely?"

Merlin merely waved his hand to correct her, "Actually it's power is rather massive, despite the seals I used to hold it back. You can still use the lance as a weapon, even though it's not truly meant to be one. Nevertheless, the seals have conditions upon which, when released, shall gradually bring the holy lance back to its original power level."

"And the conditions are…?" Arturia asked while leaving it open for the magus to finish.

Merlin tapped his staff to conjure up words that told them just how the restraints could be undone, "Well, these are the restraints set upon Rhongomynaid to ensure that will not grievously harm the world around it –

_'The battle must be more powerful than oneself.'_

_'The battle must be an honorable one.'_

_'The battle must be to live.'_

_'The enemy must not be an Elemental.'_

_'The battle must not be inhumane.'_

_'The battle must be one-on-one.'_

_'One's comrades-in-arms should be courageous.'_

_'The weapon must not be used to harm the innocent.'_

_'The battle must be for truth.'_

_'The battle must not involve self-gain.'_

_'The battle must be one against evil.'_

_'The battle must save the world.'_

_'The battle must be for the salvation of all.'_

"These are the conditions one must have to unleash the holy lance's power fully. Although if one were to have a strong enough will, such as the two of you…" Merlin said, pointing to Naruto & Arturia both, "…then it's possible to bypass those seals, although I doubt either of you would do so to violate your morals. Hence the honorable conditions that the lance now has placed upon it."

Arturia nodded with this new information in mind for what was to come, "I see then, thank you, Merlin."

"Think nothing of it!" The man waved it off, "I mean, if that lance were used to its full potential, we'd die all very horrible deaths!" The other occupants paled before Merlin placed a hand under his chin, "Or rather more than likely the textures would merge if one were to do so, in which we all live, but things just get wacky at that point." He finished with a somewhat speculating & cheery tone. Merlin shook his head as he made his way out of the room, "Regardless, I do hope the two of you will enjoy yourselves now." Merlin opened the door to leave. However, he turned his head to glance back at Arturia, "Oh, and by the way, my king. You can summon the lance at will with your Mana, should you have need of it. It'll be sent into a pocket dimension for the time being, just so you don't have to worry about lugging it around. Have a good day!" The magus shut the door, leaving the two occupants alone once again.

Arturia looked down to the lance as she channeled her Mana into the grip, only to see a bright flash of light that made the lance vanish into thin air. Naruto made his way over to Arturia as the two maneuvered their arms around one another before he spoke, "Now, before Merlin ever so rudely interrupted us, where were we?"

"We were just about…" Arturia brought him down for a kiss on the lips, "…to decide what to do for the rest of the week."

* * *

-Morgan le Fay's Lair-

Morgan viewed through the Scrying Orb at Vortigern handing out an elixir to his most trusted officers amused at how gullible the man truly was. She chuckled to herself out the desperation her uncle was showing.

"Mother…" Agravain stepped into the room, noticing that she was not displeased with her uncle's efforts, "…you don't seem disappointed at the progress that Vortigern has made with his forces. Arthur's own army now marches north to dispose of your ally, and yet you're… amused?"

Morgan looked to her son, seeing that he didn't know just how advantageous her position was, "Because whoever wins, I cannot lose." She turned back to the Scrying Orb as Vortigern gave some speech to his men, who raised their arms in salute, they groused about being the 'superior race', "You see, if Vortigern does by some miracle win, then I will have my sister, your siblings and the Dead Apostle in my hands. If my sister wins, then I can continue with creating my weapon to be my puppet from the two of them." All Morgan needed was the materials from the two to craft it.

Agravain could see her reasoning, but he could only wonder about that elixir she gave to Vortigern. "And what of the elixir you gave to granduncle? Would that aid them at all?"

"HA!" Morgan laughed loudly for a brief moment before she chuckled, "That 'elixir', is nothing more than a drug I concocted to have Vortigern's more zealous men become emboldened by stupidity and bravery." She shook her head at her son, thinking she actually was trying to help the stupid man, "No, this is merely entertainment. Although I will say that it is rather intriguing that the man was able to achieve his transformation…"

Yes. The coming battles would be all too fun to watch.

* * *

-Seven Days Later; Near the River Tribuit-

And so, it began…

Naruto had sent his Shadow Clones ahead of the bulk of their forces to kill any enemy that scouted beyond the river to keep the element of surprise. As luck would have it, he encountered a messenger that was carrying letters to a Saxon chieftain named Horsa that was Vortigern's contact down south currently in hiding. He'd be dealt with later on once the country was freed and united under the banner of Camelot.

Arturia dismounted Llamrei, she stood atop a hill overlooking the fortress that stood between them and Vortigern's lands, just as the sun began to set. She was adorned in the Armor of the Lion King that Naruto had made for her, her inner circle saddled at her rear, and the army behind them. The forces of Camelot massed to their rear 15,000 strong. Men ready to give their lives for a better future for their country of Britain.

She drew forth Excalibur from Avalon before beginning to speak, holding the golden blade at the ready, "My fellow countrymen…" The king loudly spoke with pride and authority befitting one such in her position, "…my retainers, we have come so far since we began to retake our country from the foreign invaders, that dare set foot on these lands to take what is ours. We have brought traitors to heel and given them new faith in the future we build for our loved ones. Now…" A golden light began to gather around her, as the warm comfort of Excalibur started to swell within their ranks; the soldiers listened to the words of their king that brought them joy & faith in her rousing speech, "…now we depose the treacherous tyrant who brings slavery & death to Britain!"

A thunderous roar from the soldiers rang through the air. If Vortigern's men down below in the fortress didn't know what was coming for them before, they sure as hell did now. Naruto could see that the enemy forces were now assembling into formation as they readied catapults and archers to defend the structure, "I know not what we face beyond this point, only that we shall face death & victory! Today, we rescue our country from an age of chaos & tyranny, and usher in a future brighter than any one of us can ever imagine!" The golden glow of Excalibur was reaching its peak, as Arturia channeled her Mana Burst into the sword to unleash upon her intended target below them.

"For today, we set the principle that the world will one day follow! We carve our names into the history of the world! We fight for our right to choose our future! Our fates! THE DARKNESS THAT SHADOWS OVER BRITAIN, WE SHALL END IT ALL!" The army was roused to the speech as they shouted in acknowledgement of the king's dream & ideals, "YES, LET US PUT AN END TO THIS! THE GATHERING BREATH OF THE STAR! THE SHINING TORRENT OF LIFE! EXCALIBUR!"

Arturia swung the holy sword downwards to release the Mana she had stored within the blade, a large beam of light flooded the vision of everyone that gazed upon it. Naruto had helped Arturia train with how to properly channel, aim, and direct the blast of Excalibur at whatever she wished; in comparison to Caliburn - that was far easier to handle since it was merely a small beam that shot out from the tip - Excalibur unleashed a wave of dense golden light that incinerated everything in the path of the sword's downward arc. It took Arturia a month to master Excalibur with her own skills, and an additional ten months to learn what Naruto had taught her of swordsmanship from his homeland, or in this world, it would be referred to as the Far East. The time it took Arturia to truly unleash Excalibur's full power was in less than a second; her speech and gathering of the light was all merely just a display for the masses of her power as well as her unyielding will to achieve victory, and the peace she sought for Britain.

The wave of light crossed the distance to the castle in less than a fraction of a second, scorching the ground beneath it and causing the nearby river to begin to boil from being in close proximity. Within that ephemeral moment, the soldiers who had sworn themselves to the dragon king were caught short, transfixed by a light that shone through the darkness of reality. As their castle was wiped from the face of the earth, not a single soldier muttered so much as a whimper, to be engulfed by that light was to embrace Invictus.

* * *

-Fortress on the River Tribuit-

None of the scouts that had been sent out into enemy territory had returned back as scheduled. The only explanation was that the army of Camelot was marching on them, with having their own spies killing the scouts. The officers in charge now beginning to accompany their men to alert the rest of their forces while a few stayed behind to prepare for the inevitable siege that no doubt come their way.

"What do you daft bastards think we're doing?!" An officer shouted above on the battlements down below to the infantrymen that were pushing catapults into position, while archers rushed out with half-filled quivers as well as shoddy bows in hand, "Get ready! This isn't a damned drill!" They spotted King Arthur in some heavy silver armor, standing atop the hills above them with many of his soldiers assembling behind him, signaling that the king I the south was ready to move on the north.

Now they began to assemble to hold off the army of Camelot until reinforcements arrived, but a few of the men highly doubted they would be receiving relief anytime soon, "Make sure you've said your prayers, boys, because it's likely a lot of us will die today!"

The next thing they knew, they saw golden light begin to swirl around Arthur above their position, with a bright light shining down. The next thing the poor bastards knew was the warm light heading straight for them.

All they could do was take comfort that their deaths would be quick, painless, but strangely enough above all else… they would die with some form of happiness in their hearts…

* * *

A cavalryman was riding further north to the nearby village to alert the men stationed & quartered there that the enemy had arrived en masse. The galloping of his horse was beating like a thunderous drum that knew no end to its pace, only to stop momentarily as a bright ray of golden light struck where the fortress once was. All that was left was a sizeable smoldering crater that had all but completely annihilated the structure along with everyone and everything within it.

The soldier quickly resumed his duty, not looking back upon the enemy that was now marching downhill to confront his king sitting in the dark citadel.

* * *

As Arturia let the last of the blast loose from Excalibur's blade, the tip was touching the ground, beginning to burn it into a glass, showcasing that the light of the sword, despite having been released to the fortress, still held power that signified it as the strongest sword in existence. Arturia knew that Rhongomyniad could do the same; however, she felt it best to save it for the final battle against her uncle, not knowing just what he had planned for her

Raising the blade once again, Arturia turned to her retainers and army as she shouted, "TODAY, WE WILL FIGHT! WE WILL STRUGGLE! AND YET, WE SHALL EMERGE VICTORIOUS! FOR I SWEAR THIS UPON MY BLADE!"

The army roared as they raised their weapons high into the air, with cries of victory in their throats.

"Hail, King Arthur, son of Uther! Hail the King of Knights! Hail Camelot! Hail Britain!"

Arturia hopped atop Llamrei as they charged through the obliterated land that once held the fortress that would have impeded their invasion. Naruto rode up alongside her on Dun as he muttered a few words, not knowing just what lay beyond this point, but better to say them now before his potential time had come, "Once more into the fray, into the last good fight I'll ever know." Naruto readied Carnwennan as he kept it at the ready to strike at a potential enemy, "Live and die on this day. Live… and die on this day."

* * *

A young boy had been playing with his friends late in the evening all the while avoiding Vortigern's soldiers who were patrolling, arresting those who stayed out after curfew. Since people tried to flee in the middle of the night away from the tyranny, but alas, not many could escape.

Now they were heading back to their houses in the village to avoid getting any beatings by the soldiers that supposedly were protecting them. Suddenly, a bright golden light emerged from beyond the tree line as a soldier was riding his steed into the village where an officer stopped him, "What are you here for? And what the bloody hell was that damned light?"

The messenger was almost hyperventilating from what he had seen, "K-King Arthur! His army blew the gates down just now!" He dismounted the horse as he fumbled the water skin to get a drink to try and calm his nerves, "I-I was o-ordered to spread the word, t-to defend the lands."

The boy overheard the soldier as he was now just outside the door with his mother no doubt finishing supper up, but the next thing he knew was that the officer snapped and went looney, "Put the villages to the sword!" He turned to face the soldiers under his command, with a fist raised high above his head, "String the people up and burn them alive! Rape the women! Castrate the men! Drown the infants!"

Several of the men went into a different direction as they carried out the twisted orders of their superior, though a few remained behind all to shocked by what had been said, with one of the men questioning it aloud, "But sir, some of the men have families in the vi—"

He found a sword being rammed through his chest by his commanding officer, "THEY ARE VERMIN!" He pulled back with the corpse of the soldier dropping down into a pool of blood all the while the officer-turned-zealot continued to shout aloud above the now screaming villagers and soldiers committing such fiendish acts, "NOT WORTHY OF PITY, NOR MERCY! FOR WE SERVE THE DRAGON KING, FOR WE ARE THE MASTER RACE AND THESE HUMANS ARE NOT BUT ANTS BENEATH OUR BOOTS!"

A gush of blood erupted, in a straight line that ran down from the officers head to his groin, with his body now splitting in two with the now infamous 'Shadow' twirling an oddly-shaped dagger in his right hand, before he bore blood-red eyes into their very souls, "If you boys want to surrender, then I suggest you do it quickly before the rest of the army gets here."

If he had the commanding air of Arturia, he was sure that he had it down to a 'T'. The men quickly disarmed themselves as they got on their knees as they raised their hands before shouting in unison, "We surrender!"

"Good," Naruto said as he smirked before the Camelot forces arrived to intervene to stop the senseless slaughter of the villagers. He turned his gaze over to a young boy who was hiding behind a few pots trembling in fear, only to see that he needed to make things right in the boys' eyes.

Naruto made his way over to the boy as he bent down to eye level with a warm smile, "Are you alright?" The boy nodded hesitantly as the Camelot army rode through to end things quickly. Naruto rummaged Through his back pocket to pull out a piece of bread that he had made for the trip and broke it in half as he handed it to the boy. The child carefully took the bread looking back and forth between the food and Naruto who nodded for him to take a bite of the loaf before his eyes widened in shock at how good it tasted to him. Now granted bread was just bread, but then again, Naruto had meticulously prepped and made food for he and Arturia on their way, and his food always tasted better than what the rest of the country had to eat, so seeing the kid absolutely devour the half-a-loaf was endearing.

Standing up to begin rejoining the others, Naruto turned around as he said his last bits to the kid, "Make sure to get your parents and head south to Camelot. It's a lot nicer down there than up here. See ya later, kiddo."

The next thing he knew, the kid had lunched at Naruto as he hugged his leg tight as he could before he let go and looked up to Naruto with a few unshed tears, "Thank you, mister knight."

Naruto was about to correct him, but the sincere look on the kid's face to see that most likely he had been starving stopped him in his tracks, "It's what we knight's do kiddo." Patting him on the head, Naruto turned back to the now quelled chaos as the Camelot forces finished with defeating the enemy.

* * *

It wasn't long after cleaning things up did the Pendragon army begin to have the villagers gather the necessary belongings to head down south to avoid the coming battles.

As Arturia stood with Naruto out away from the majority of the forces, they were discussing what to do in how to assault Vortigern's fortress, that is until a mother, and her son had approached them before speaking, "Excuse me, your majesty, King Arthur?"

Arturia directed her full attention as she took off her helmet to face the mother and child with an earnest smile on her face, "How can I help you, ma'am?"

"If it weren't for you, your majesty…" The woman spoke as she clasped the gauntleted hand of the young king, "…we have been kept as prisoners in these lands in all but name. Fed little food, given little clothing, many of our own die from the winters that blanket the lands or the plague claiming our lives." Naruto had turned his attention down to the mother's son to see it was the very same one that had he had given bread to. The boy gave a smile as he waved to Naruto with the Apostle waving back before turning his attention back to Arturia and the boy's mother who continued on, "Vortigern has these lands under his 'protection', and yet he allows foreigners to take what they please. I am thankful that you, _my_ king, have finally come to liberate us from the yolk of tyranny."

The woman got down on her knees as she bowed her head in reverence to Arturia. Arturia herself knew that many of her subjects would bow in such a manner; however, she believed that such a thing was unneeded. Bending down to look the woman in the eye, Arturia spoke to her, "Please, there is no need for you to bend the knee so quickly and so low. I have merely come to save all of Britain from the evils that would harm our people."

The woman shed tears as Arturia rose back up with her hand to help her up, "Thank you, King Arthur." She turned to Naruto before she smiled at him, "And thank you, young knight, for giving food to my son, Pelleas. He said you gave him bread of the finest taste, and that all knights help those in need."

Naruto put his hands up to try and excuse himself, "Oh, please ma'am, there's no need to thank me. I'm just doing what anyone would do in the situation." He chuckled as Arturia gave him a sly smile knowing full well that Naruto had a big soft spot for kids.

The woman shook her head, "No, not truly anyone would do so." She turned her attention back to Arturia as a worried look came across her face, "But your majesty, I know that I have no right to ask anything of you, but please I beg of you! My sister and her family live not far from here, about a days journey in her homestead just northeast, at Rock Breguion. She meant to come and bring food that she had stolen from the soldiers, but she never came, and that was four days ago." Desperation appeared on her face as she practically begged Arturia next, "Please, I beg of you. Will you find the cause of this? It… it would bring me peace of mind as well as the others that have family there."

Naruto could see that a few others passing by turned their gazes over towards their way, most likely having overheard the woman's plea. Arturia knew that something was wrong ever since Naruto's spy reports said that people had been disappearing for quite some time, but for an entire homestead to just completely go silent? No, some dark manner was at work here, and it would be crushed with no mercy, "Have no fear, ma'am. I will find out what has become of your sister and her homestead. On that, you have my word as the King of Knights."

"Thank you!" The woman began to sob softly, "Thank you, so much your majesty! Truly, you are our king!" She and her son, Pellas left to continue with the rest of the civilians making their way south to safety; meanwhile, Arturia turned to Naruto now wondering just what it is they may be facing.

"So, what do you believe is behind such a thing?" Arturia asked.

Naruto placed a hand under his chin as he contemplated just what exactly could be responsible for this little bit of news, "I'm not sure. The only thing I can even remotely think of that could be behind the disappearances in the past years, and now apparently taking an entire homestead… it could be a vampire perhaps." Ever since Altrouge had sent him that letter concerning the theft of something by Blackmore, he had a good feeling that the crazy crow douche was in town per se, knowing that somehow Morgan was involved. But then again, there was no direct evidence to support that. Either way, Naruto had theorized that given the state of the people's homes after discovering they had vanished, the only logical conclusion would be a vampire doing the deed.

Arturia furrowed her brows at the prospect of facing against a vampire like Naruto. He had told her that the best way to kill Dead Apostles would be to either stake them in the heart and cut their head off completely while burning the stumps to prevent reattachment; using holy weapons such as Excalibur, Arondight and Galatine to fatally wound and kill them; or send word to the Church to ask for assistance in eliminating the Apostles as the Priests of the Church Executors would wipe away any and all who had been bitten or was doing the deed of biting. But he warned her that doing so with the third option would bring a lot of unwanted attention to their efforts in creating her dream for Britain.

"I see then." She made sure Excalibur was at the ready just in case, "We will head to the homestead as soon as possible. I'd much rather deal with this investigation and hopefully put down the ones responsible for the disappearing civilians these past few years." This one of the last few battles to truly liberate Britain from evil; she would not allow it to endure anymore.

Naruto nodded his head in acknowledgment at his secret lover's decision, "I understand, my king. I'll go inform the inner circle and have Lancelot & Gawain ride ahead with us once we set out."

* * *

-Near the Rock Breguion; Two Days Later-

It had been some time since they set out towards their destination, but the forces of Camelot were mentally preparing themselves for what horror lie in wait for them. Naruto had decided to stay on foot once they neared the homestead, sensing that despite Dun's eager for entering battle with his rider, the Apostle felt it best to keep him out of the fight that would turn bloody very quickly.

He marched alongside Arturia who had kept constant vigilance in the front with the inner circle, bar Lancelot & Gawain, spread around to help balance the scales and ensure that the men did not lose morale if the situation turned south, to which Naruto believed that it would without a shred of doubt.

"Naruto, if we encounter the one responsible for the disappearances, inform me at once." Arturia spoke with her kingly tone, "I need to look them in the eye as I deliver the sentence upon them." She needed to look them in the eye to question their sick, twisted reasoning for committing such vile acts before she put them to death by the sword.

Naruto nodded in affirmation, "I understand, my king."

Lancelot looked next to Gawain as he felt uneasy about the situation they were heading into, "I take it you feel it as well, Sir Gawain?" The Knight of the Lake asked.

The Knight of the Sun looked up to the sky to see it was red like blood; a dark omen that death was not far away, "Indeed." He gripped Galatine as he felt that the sword was emanating heat slightly in response to the ominous air they were stepping into.

One of the aspects of the Fae weapons that the Lady of the Lake had bestowed them, was that they could warn them of the presence of dark creatures. In Galatine, the hilt would heat up, In Arondight, the sword would begin to become alit like the moon. And in Excalibur, the sword would vibrate or 'wring' to warn them. Lancelot slightly unsheathed Arondight to see if his own sword was informing him of anything dark. However, the sword remained its usual yellow/violet color scheme.

The moon rose high as the sun faded with its light, now leaving them travelling with torches to light the way. Typically they would have set camp at this point in time, however, they were near the homestead at this point. As they emerged from the treeline, Naruto sniffed the air as he came to a sudden stop that prompted Arturia to raise a hand to signal the halt. Arturia turned down to Naruto wanting to know of the situation, and judging by Naruto's expression, it was not good, "Naruto. What is it?"

Naruto sniffed the air one more time before he narrowed his eyes before replying, "I smell… death, my king. We should proceed with the utmost caution at this point." Naruto pulled out Carnwennan as he made his way to the edge of the homestead that he saw where multiple torches and lamps were alive with a fire still burning within them; only barely having contact been lost some time ago.

Nevertheless, Naruto took the lead to see just how bad the situation was as they entered the homestead. Arturia and the others dismounted their steeds before coming around to investigate. Arturia furrowed her brows at the site: destroyed doors, shattered windows, broken fences and several farm animals with some blood on them that looked both fresh & old.

But most of all… there wasn't a single civilian in sight… Not even the corpses…

"Naruto…"

"I know. There's no one here. At least, those that I can smell that would be alive…" Naruto didn't want to know what exactly went down here, but he needed to know what they were up against.

Arturia turned to Gawain as his siblings came up behind him, "Gawain, Gaheris, Gareth; find the civilians. Their bodies must still be here." If they could find them, then at least they could provide proper burials or burnings depending on the state of their bodies.

"Understood, my king." The trio of siblings went deeper into the homestead as Naruto looked into one of the houses to investigate. He took note that there was an apparent struggle: torn bedsheets, a flipped over table, a pitchfork that was skewered into the wall with blood dripping from it as well as on the walls. However, the blood that had been smeared were made by… claws? Maybe an animal? He scratched that theory off the list when he noticed that 'claws' held what looked like opposable thumbs in the smears.

That left either perhaps a werewolf or vampire most likely. Naruto doubted that it was the former as the smell of wet dog permeated the air whenever they were near or had passed through the area, and Naruto didn't catch a whiff of it at all while investigating.

That left just the vampire.

"What dark creature did this?" Lancelot stood at the entry as his eyes were wide in shock at the aftermath of the scene Naruto was investigating.

Naruto turned to his friend with a solemn look, "A Dead Apostle… no. It'd be more correct to say, that a Ghoul did this."

Arturia came over to inquire her retainer on the why, having heard Naruto's statement about a Ghoul being responsible, however, Bedivere's voice rose up in alarm, "Behind us!"

Everyone turned to their rear with their weapons drawn as the torches that illuminated their vision showcased the shadow of a single being ambling towards their position beyond a hill. None of the holy swords warned them of the being hostile, nevertheless they kept their weapons raised in caution. As the being came into the light, it was revealed to be a little girl in tattered clothes with blood splattered across her face and right arm, dripping like that of crushed fruit.

"A child!"

They lowered their arms as the little girl, who now appeared no less than ten approach them. Arturia sheathed Excalibur as she took her helmet off to hand to Naruto, before approaching the girl. The men parted to make a path between the two as Arturia now stood before the girl who collapsed before Arturia took her into her gauntleted arms, "Child… who did this?" Arturia needed to know what happened, despite knowing that such a question would, without a doubt be traumatic for the little girl.

The girl began to slowly close her eyes as she spoke ever so softly to the young king, "It's quiet… they came with… eyes from the blackest depths… teeth that cut and tear… like rabid dogs… with their claws of demons… they took them into the night… some ran…" Naruto had come up behind Arturia to listen intently to know what kind of Ghoul they were dealing with, but these weren't the average run of the mill Ghouls, "… but they took them into the houses… to the center… and the green knight led them… he looked at me… he let me live… then they left… but it's quiet now…" The girl's eyes became heavy as she passed out from the shock and blood loss. Naruto handed Arturia's helm to Lancelot who had approached to hear the last bit on the one that led the Ghouls, as the Apostle began to apply Healing Magecraft to the innocent child that had already seen too much to bear.

Arturia had a scowl on her face, already unable to stand the insult that was dealt with her. These people were _her_ subjects as well as _her _responsibility. She would not stand for this any longer.

"My king!" Gawain's voice came over the air filled with alarm, "We found them!"

Arturia stood up even with the girl still in her arms, as they all made their way over to the trio of siblings, only to see a sight, unlike anything they had seen before. A sickening tree, or what could be called a tree was constructed from the corpses of the inhabitants of the homestead; their bodies twisted, bent and put in the worst possible positions with their blood & entrails strewn about to look like vegetation as the blood-soaked the ground. Many of the men began to lose their lunch with the inner circle having to hold their breath to avoid doing the same. The soldiers started murmuring amongst themselves in fear of what they were about to face, or those reinforcing their victory over the enemy.

Naruto had grown accustomed to such things beforehand in the century, but still, the sight itself was nothing short of disgusting that made him angry.

Arturia on the other hand… Naruto had seen that her fists were trembling in anger, no different from when he had finally confronted Nagato after defeating the Tendo Pain. Naruto brought a hand up to her ear as he spoke softly, yet with firm resolve to carry out his words.

Kay could hardly make out what Naruto said, despite being next to them. The only thing he caught was 'kill'. He knew that the Apostle had a calming effect on his sister, as it would be best to not say anything at the moment. All Kay could truly be glad for right now was that father had stayed behind as Regent of the capital, having his previous injury finally end his time on the battlefield, now being the one to help oversee the political game as well as day-to-day duties to help ease Arturia's burden of leading the country.

Naruto formed a Shadow Clone who took the girl from Arturia's arms as he looked her over to see that she had no external injuries or wounds to be concerned over. Nevertheless, he continued to apply healing to the girl as he sprinted off back south to the civilians making their way out of Vortigern's lands.

Arturia looked up to the tree of corpses, before she turned to Gawain, "Sir Gawain. Give them a pyre." She looked back to the 'tree' with disgust & sadness, knowing that trying to remove their bodies from the position they were in would be a disaster.

"Yes, my king." Gawain unsheathed Galatine as he channeled his mana into the blade to bring forth the fire within the weapon. The sword became a lite with light, and with a single swing, Gawain unleashed a slash of fire that consumed the 'tree' of civilians to provide some small measure of comfort for their sanctity.

Arturia turned to Naruto, now wanting blood for what she had seen, gave an order, "Search the homestead if anyone else survived." She more or less said aloud to everyone, "Get them away from here. If the ones responsible are still lingering around, then behead them. The punishment for this is death without mercy; this disgusting, barbarism will not be tolerated in our lands."

The ninja understood that his king would not be swayed otherwise from this decision. The rage, the hate… he knew well enough that right now was the time to kill something; he agreed. Naruto handed Arturia's helm back to her who donned it to see that the image of a vicious lion now looked upon them all, ready to strike at her intended prey.

The inner-circle, as well as the various soldiers, began searching the homestead to see mostly abandoned houses along with bloody messes of past struggles to fight back. Naruto had gone with Bedivere as the inner circle all had gone into pairs, with Lancelot & Gawain opting to stay with the Arturia. The two entered a barn that had been reasonably untouched from the way it appeared, other than the crimson handprints of someone trying to open the barn door to run away from the way it looked like. Naruto went over to a haystack to see that the corpse of a woman was lying down with her eyes closed, and large patches of blood coating her features. Bedivere inched closer to inspect the corpse, placing a hand on her neck to see that she had bite marks like that of an animal, still dripping with blood, "She's been bitten." The knight turned to Naruto who quickly made his way over to confirm his fears; Ghouls had entered the homestead to begin a slaughter to feed and turn the populace into a trap to eliminate as many of Arturia's forces as much as possible.

Naruto placed a hand on the neck to turn its head over on both sides to see that they still had time. Forming two Shadow Clones, Naruto needed to warn the others, "Go make sure everyone knows we may still have bodies in the houses. Ensure that they inspect the necks for bite marks, and if so, cut the heads off; we can't let any more Ghouls spring up."

"Understood!" The Clones quickly left the barn to spread the news while the duo prepared to end a future threat. Naruto took the woman's head to drag out of the hay while Bedivere unsheathed his sword, to swipe the neck clean, severing the head from the body as Naruto channeled some of his Mana into his hand that set the head ablaze with fire. He dropped it down onto the body with the flames consuming the corpse, putting down a potential Ghoul.

They were unaware of the silent rustling from the haystack as they turned away to leave the premises and search for more tainted bodies.

"This was intended to be a trap, was it not?" Bedivere asked Naruto. The knight may have not been the strongest, or the most skilled, but he could see when something was off with a situation.

Naruto hummed in response. But, before he could open his mouth, he felt something off for some reason… He turned around to see another corpse, one that was ripe with dark life in the form of a Ghoul that had befallen a young boy, lunging right at Bedivere's back. Quickly pushing his brother-in-arms down before the Ghoul could bite him, Naruto channeled Wind Mana into Carnwennan to slice the creature in half as a loud screech emerged briefly from its guttural throat before being sliced in half.

The Apostle knew that the corpses they were finding were beginning to turn, and knew the best was to simply shout it out, as he helped Bedivere back up to his feet. Channeling mana into his throat, Naruto shouted it out, "THEY'RE TURNING!"

* * *

Lancelot was right by the king's side making their way back to the town hall where hopefully there was some evidence of survivors, alas none had arisen at all. Arturia furrowed her brows further, not that they already weren't; instead, it seemed that she was becoming frustrated with nothing really occurring.

Naruto's Shadow Clones were going around warning them to behead & burn any corpses they came across to prevent Ghouls from rising up in their place. They found a few bodies, but not many were still left strewn around the homestead.

Arturia had just cut the head off one corpse clean with Excalibur's tip lighting the body a flame, all in due to a small channeling of her Mana Burst into a concentrated mini-blast that melted whatever it was that the tip of the blade touched, like molten magma spewing from a volcano that cooled instantly to prevent the flesh from healing.

"Another victim…" Arturia said to herself, although Lancelot heard her clear to see that this was taking a toll on her.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Lancelot tried to help ease her emotions even though he knew well enough that Naruto was far more capable of doing so, "Have faith my ki—" He stopped suddenly as he noticed down below in his sheath that light was emanating from Arondight. Lancelot partially unsheathed the blade to see the light was warning them…

"THEY'RE TURNING!"

* * *

Gawain with his siblings in tow were beheading a few corpses just outside a house near the edge of the homestead. Gareth was breaking open oil lamps that she had procured from the inside of one of the homes to use the oil as an accelerant, while Gaheris alongside his elder brother beheaded them. They took no pleasure in this work but were motivated to at least make sure these people got the rest in death that was robbed from them in life.

Gawain slashed another head with Galatine, making ready to move to the next one as its head rolled away, that is until he felt the grip vibrate quickly with the shouting of soldiers behind him.

"THEY'RE TURNING!"

The next thing he knew was that a soldier had been sent flying into him with a force that nearly knocked the wind out of him. Gawain checked to see that the soldier was dead after being impaled by a large axe no doubt, judging from the wound that bled out profusely with the intestines hanging out. Angered briefly by the loss, Gawain heard the clash of several swords before he pushed the body off of him to see just who it was that had sent him flying.

The knight was... off. He was hugely tall yet still under ten feet in height covered in thick steel plates and a mossy green tunic with holes in it revealing rotting flesh that trembled ghoulishly in the light of the moon. From between the joints and plates came pulsing vines that sewed the fantastical knight together, puppeteering him like some macabre marionette. The man's face may once have been that of a lord, regal features now besotted with postulating growths and weeping skin. His eyes were foggy and uncoordinated, but that did not stop him from cleaving the soldiers of Camelot in two. However it was his weapon that made Gawain wary, It was a great, black two-handed axe with glowing, red Fae script running up the handle and blade, they smoked lightly with black miasma.

No doubt this poor soul was one of _mother's_ experimental hobbies…

Gripping Galatine in his hands, Gawain charged through to face off against this new foe, "I am sorry this fate befell upon you, but I will end your suffering, Green Knight."

* * *

Arturia found a Ghoul suddenly rushing out of the front door, scrambling as it screeched into the night with blood on its lips and piercing black eyes. Lancelot quickly acted to defend his King, as he brought Arondight out to combat against the creature with the light that it refracted, showcasing a new ability not seen until now: its light was burning the Ghoul.

The creature's skin seared to a crisp within moments of contact, sending it spiraling backwards writhing in pain from the burns, a sight that both the King and her knight watched with interest. Turning to see a small group rushing towards them, Arturia built up her mana into her arm as her elemental affinity, the wind began to build up around her fist with a violent rotation that encircled her arm.

"Strike Air!" Arturia punched with all her might sending the whirlwind right at the Ghouls that sent them flying high into the air, the wind slicing their bodies to ribbons as the air cannon struck a house that was obliterated into dust. It was not true magecraft but rather a simple energy manipulation exercise that Naruto had helped her adapt for combat. This was her first time using it in battle and needless to say she was impressed with the results.

"Sir Lancelot, we may have a way to end this quickly!" Arturia said as she slashed at another rising Ghoul charging like a rabid animal. Despite how dangerous these creatures were, they were at least predictable, unlike regular soldiers. The scent of burning flesh permeated the air as Excalibur cleaved the Ghoul in two, immediately cauterising the wound it inflicted and leaving two halves of a smouldering Ghoul to waste away on the floor.

Lancelot drove Arondight into a pair of Ghouls that tried to overwhelm him, he twisted the blade before taking their heads off, "So I gathered!"

The Ghouls came in more frequently from the black mist that appeared from the shadows of the houses. They needed to find a way to end this before any of their men were turn. Those casualties were reduced at least with Naruto's Shadow Clones aiding in killing the growing horde, which was further reduced in thanks to the third Shadow Clone rejoining the battle.

King and knight schooled their features as they stood back to back, each one covering the other's blindspots before slicing away at any would-be attacker. Although light was detrimental to the Ghouls, they had been robbed of all but scant animalistic reason, reason which was quickly overtaken by the bestial urge to feed. They threw themselves at the two on droves numbering in the low dozens, but it did not matter, their prey had come too far to die here. The average soldier would have seen nothing more than flashes of gold and light blue if they turned to their King, arms, legs and all other types of limbs were sent flying in an almost beautiful dance macabre.

But it was not over yet.

Elsewhere, Naruto & Bedivere had run out of the barn, to regroup with Arturia, but not before Naruto pulled out a kunai with a paper bomb attached to it. Channeling Wind Mana into the weapon, Naruto threw it into a Ghoul leading a charge outside of the barn, "Time to close up shop!" A resounding explosion of fire & lighting blew the barn into bits with the blast incinerating everything within it, leaving no chance to ensure that wooden stakes wouldn't hit any of the men.

The duo cut their way through the Ghouls as they made their way through the homestead to try and help their forces from being overwhelmed by the horde. Bedivere fared well with most of the Ghouls converging on Naruto, something that he took notice of within the carnage that was taking place.

Driving Carnwennan into the head of a Ghoul before the Apostle channeled Fire mana into the blade, an element that he wasn't used to, engulfing the creatures in flames. Dropping the corpse, Naruto decided to test something out, "Alright, let's see just how badly they want me." Naruto ran further away from his allies to get some distance while he slit his palm open and waved it around to fling blood into the air.

Bedivere saw what Naruto was doing and could only wonder why he would do such a thing, "What are you doing?"

"Making myself as the bait!" The ninja-knight responded.

The action got the result he wanted, as many of the Ghouls trying to kill the Camelot knights broke off from their engagements with the smell of blood now very strong in the air. Most vampires preferred the blood of the living; drinking the blood of fellow vampires while still doable, wasn't very common as it was considered to be 'low-class' or 'cannibalistic' among the Dead Apostles. Ghouls on the other hand, just didn't care. They were deprived of any and all higher levels of thinking, becoming nothing more than attack dogs that pounced onto whatever that was nearby to feed off of, even themselves.

A terrible fate for those that failed to become true vampires, with it being a high chance for those who serve them and wish to become one.

'_**How do you plan to kill all the walking, slobbering corpses coming your way?'**_ Kurama had noticed that quite a bit of the horde was making its way towards Naruto as he stopped near a statue that had Voritgern sitting atop a throne with sword in one hand while having a severed head in the other; Uther no doubt.

'_A Divine Word if I'm right about these things…' _Naruto had to duck underneath a flying Ghoul that leapt out from a tree to tackle him to the ground, only for it to crash into a few pursuers. The upper echelon Apostle could only feel sorry for the victims that were chasing him down, _"…and I think I'm not the only one who has a good idea of what to do."_ Naruto noticed the light of Arondight begin to shine brightly off in the corner of his eyes. The holy sword of refraction would work well to burn away the Ghouls in a flash of Mana infused light.

Naruto channeled Mana into his throat as the growing horde rushed into to surround him and uttered the words, just as Arondight's light flashed across the sky, **"****燭龍****!"**, The homestead was consumed with light as everyone shielded their eyes from the combined efforts of Naruto's Divine Word and Arondight's light to burn the Ghouls away.

Taking the name Yu Long from the jade dragon from Journey to the west, the divine word invoked a blast of concentrated light in the shape of a Chinese dragon. While the dragon alone would kill a good number of the undead the light is emitted would be refracted by Arondight to increase the range to a large area of effect. Naruto could hear Lancelot shout out the mantra that would unleash Aroindight's power, _"Reaching to the end, beyond the boundaries! Look upon thos light and be turned to ash,dark creatures! ARONDIGHT OVERLOAD!"_ By the time the light cleared Naruto was standing in an empty clearing surrounded by nothing more than dust and echoes; the smell of roasting flesh on the air. "Ugh!" Naruto grunted in distaste, "Apostle or no, you never forget that smell."

* * *

-Moments Ago; Gawain, Gaheris & Gareth-

"RRAAGHH!" Gaheris shoved his lance straight through the Green Knight's right arm that appeared to be its dominant limb when wielding the axe. Gawain was forced to parry some of the blows to try and survive the onslaught of attacks the undead knight threw at him, all the while the Ghouls focused more on the others. Gareth had lost her sword after impaling a pair of Ghouls to a house to keep them from attacking any further, and left with only her shield, she needed to use it to the best of her ability to try and aid her older brother.

Many of the Ghouls were leaving them alone to chase after something, Mr Naruto's work no doubt, as he was known for doing many rather unorthodox moves in battles. This gave Gareth the chance to bring up her shield to ram into the Green Knight; the female knight ran straight into the Green Knight's leg and forced him to get down onto a knee as she took hold of the rotted leg to keep him down, while Garehis held one of his arms in place with his lance.

Gawain had been knocked down onto his back after the last strike, it was thanks to Galatine that he survived. Had it have been his previous sword, then he had no doubt that the blade would have shattered on the first strike against the axe. Gawain quickly seized the opportunity that his siblings provided him just as the Green Knight tried to wretch free of the siblings hold, but before the moldy undead could even try to do so, two bright lights forced him to close his eyes as to not be blinded by the sources with Gawain facing away from them.

The eldest of the tree ripped himself from the floor in a burst of superhuman speed, the blast of light empowering his Numeral of the Saint if even for just a fraction of a second. The strong knight slammed into the undead with the force of a canon and sent him skidding to the other end of the clearing, only to spit out a curse as the accursed green knight quickly recovered. His sword form was impeccable even when partially blinded, but he was still limited by mortal flesh. The Green Knight had no such limitations, the vines that ran through every highway and byway of his body ripping muscle and breaking bones to whip the great axe around as if it were a toothpick.

"Confounded beast, I know not what my mother has done to you, nor do I know if you can even hear me!" the great broadsword swung down like a fallen star crashing into the steel plate of the Green Knight's shoulder, sparks exploding from the point of impact. "But stand against my King? Try to hurt my siblings? For that, I shall have your head!" Gawain shouted, wrenching Galatine free before beginning a flurry of hefty diagonal and horizontal slices. It was not long before the reinforced amor that the Green Knight wore was pitted and cracked from the relentless onslaught.

Without a word, Gawain sped up his assault, giving no room for a response from his opponent, all of this playing out throughout two and a half seconds. But in his sibling fueled rage, he did not notice the slow rise of the axe into the air or the growing wind in the clearing.

It was only at the last second did Gawain notice the flash of green above him, prompting him to jump to the side. The axe sunk into the ground faster than a lightning bolt with the crash of thunder following. From the point of impact came a slash of green magical energy that sliced cleanly through the thirty feet directly in front of it...then it kept going through the first house and the second. The flames produced from where the axe had slashed were acidic green and crowded away at all they touched.

Knowing that it was only his experience that had saved him and that he had let himself be engulfed by anger, Gawain knew that he had to end this quickly. Kicking Galatine up into his waiting hands, Gawain crossed the distance to his foe in a fraction of a second, thrusting the sister sword of Excalibur deep into the rotten flesh that had been exposed by his earlier attacks. Using the momentum built up by the attack as leverage to push the taller fighter back, Gawain's armoured leg whipped out to sweep the Green Knight's leg and send him tumbling back, losing his grip on his axe.

Thinking on his feet, Gawain jumped high into the sky and grabbed the errant axe from the air, he swung down with all of his might to the struggling monster. The blade struck true and sank deep into the roots that held the Green Knight's neck together before slicing through the spine and what was left of the neck. The vines and roots animating the corpse ceased their writhing, the green corrosion of the axe eating away at them like a plague while the head rolled away.

Gaheris took removed his lance from the corpse while Gareth turned to retake her sword, only for them to see around the homestead that the Ghouls were turned to ash by the light, as their bodies remained frozen in time.

Seeing his siblings were okay, Gawain threw down the axe, taking up Galatine once more and left to reinforce the King, something the two soon followed along with. No one was there to see the discarded axe pulse with magical energy, nor the remaining vines of the body starting to reach for the bisected head. Gnarled plant matter burrowed into the stump where the head ended and began to drag it towards the body once again. With a sickening crack, the head was jammed back into place, rotted green blood coming from the newly formed scar.

The Green Knight unceremoniously sat up before rising to retrieve his axe, "**C**_u__**r**_**s**_**e**__d…." _he said in a rasping tone, sounding like two lumps of rotten wood being ground against one another. "**O**_n_e _yea_r...**Kn**_**i**__gh__**t of the**_ **Su**_n_…" its lips were contorted into some disgusting mockery of a smirk before he lifted the axe on its shoulder and walked off away from the battle.

It had to return to its mistress.

* * *

-Arturia & Lancelot-

Arturia dipped her head down as she shut her eyes fiercely to keep the light of Arondight out, and no doubt Naruto having heard him call out the Divine Word to help exterminate the Ghoul horde. Sheathing Excalibur, Arturia took her helmet off to wipe away a bit of sweat that had built up inside as she breathed out before composing herself.

Bedivere had made his way over to them all the while he kept his sword drawn, to which she couldn't blame him. Recent events had shown them to never let their guard down, "My king, Sir Lancelot, I take it your part of the Ghouls eradication was your doing?"

"Indeed…" Arturia nodded before continuing as she gestured to the Knight of the Lake, "…however, it was Lancelot's sword that did most of the work." She turned to said man as he approached them, having to get some distance between himself and Arturia to ensure Arondight wouldn't blind her, "Well done."

"Thank you, my king." Lancelot lowered his head briefly in thanks, "However, I do believe that our magus friend was also responsible for the eradication."

Speaking of said magus, Naruto was dusting off ashes from his armor before speaking up, "Ok, that worked out well enough." He sneezed before turning his attention back to Arturia who gazed back at the majority of the death that had occurred. Many of their soldiers were killed by the Ghouls before Naruto & Lancelot burned them to death with light

Arturia was unconsciously clenching her fist as she bit her lip with blood being drawn, all of our anger at what her sister had done with Vortigern's aid, no doubt, "Morgan, I will ensure justice finds you for this…" Naruto approached her and carefully placed a hand on her shoulder to provide some measure of serenity.

Arturia turned to Naruto with fire in her eyes, "Make no mistake, I don't intend to charge in recklessly, not after this…" She turned to the others as she continued, "…but we cannot allow this to happen again. Make sure we have accounted for all of our fatalities and give them the proper rites." Arturia turned her gaze out to the devastation within the village, "Ensure their belongings are collected and their bodies cremated. As much as I would like to have them returned, we cannot take the chance." Turning back to her knights, Arturia gave her orders, "Ensure that all of our men are accounted for; that they are in good health and that they are ready to march onto Vortigern's stronghold."

"Yes, my king!"

Lancelot & Bedivere went off to carry out and spread the orders, while Naruto stayed beside his love, "My king… I think we should take a day to rest and clear our minds to refocus on the way to our goal." Naruto didn't want her to go charging off blindly to her uncle's place without a plan. He managed to get a map of the area, and the ninja had a good idea on how to take it.

Arturia turned to Naruto with eyes that seemed so tired, yet so angry at the same time, "I'm the King of Britain. My duty is to protect everyone under me. To show them that we fear no enemy. That no crime will go unpunished nor will the sentence be carried out in an unjust manner." She closed the distance between them without compromising herself, "What am I supposed to do while my uncle, sits on his arse while the rest of the people suffer under him? I cannot let him live any longer, not after this."

And that's what made Naruto do what he could to help Arturia. The blood of family on one's hands changed them. There was no way in hell Naruto was going to let her tackle this on her own, "You know what I said before…" Arturia nodded before Naruto continued on, "…I have a plan to take the fortress and come out on top. One that doesn't require us to sacrifice so many lives for victory."

Arturia spun around in an instant, "Tell me."

* * *

-Two Days Later; Fortress Vortigern-

Vortigern sat on his throne, unamused.

Not.

One.

Bit.

The forces he had sent out to the fortress on the River Tribuit were wiped clean from the lands. The troops he had stationed nearby were defeated with some surrendering. The Ghouls and the Green Knight that he planned on using to kill Arthur were all defeated while his nephew only suffered a few losses. Now his soldiers were making a valiant last stand against Arthur's army, even from here, he could hear the incessant drum of combat and that damned Fae Witch was nowhere to be found.

"And so, the reign of King Vortigern comes to an end…"

Well, speak of the Devil, and surely, she shall appear…

Vortigern turned to see Morgan leaning against the throne with a neutral expression on her veiled face, "I thought you said your creations would have killed Arthur… or was that all a jest, Fae bitch?"

Morgan glanced to Vortigern as her eyes narrowed at the man who insulted her, but she didn't take it personally, "They would have, had the Lady of the Lake not have gifted her and her most trusted knights with weapons we Fae forged, who was I to surmise that they would give my sister the Sword of Light that Defends the Planet; along with that vampire of hers…" She let the last statement sink into her uncle as a realization struck him.

"You mean to say… that Arthur is a little girl?!" Vortigern was now brimming with furious rage the mass of shadow that constituted his face began to contort into a beast, with the iris changing black briefly before he regained control of himself.

Morgan smirked ever so slightly that it was unnoticeable to the enraged tyrant; taking in the sight as her amusement, "Quite so, my little bastard sister, Arturia is the 'King of Knights'…" the dark Fae chuckled before she continued, "…I dare say that the only chance you have is to turn yourself over completely to the White Dragon. Though I doubt you would be little more than a shadow of Fafnir."

The sound of battle grew louder as the large metal doors that lead into the throne room were being knocked on, or rather banged viciously on. Morgan looked to Vortigern one last time and gave him a mock wink, "Best of luck! Not that you'll have any!" she tittered before vanishing in a puff of miasma. Vortigern took a swing at the smoke before letting out a growl of rage.

The doors blew off their hinges with a bombastic clatter, Vortigern saw three figures enter his throne room: his grandnephew Gawain with a silver sword that had steam coming off of it, his now revealed niece Arturia, with a golden, glowing blade; and a young man in sky silver armor and a dagger that was emanating Wind Mana that more than likely blew the doors down. The vampire no doubt, judging from his red slitted eyes.

"Vortigern…" Arturia's voice was low, yet loud as it reverberated through the throne room with stern and restrained anger, "…your time as the King in the North is finished. Your army lay shattered, your lands in ruins, I suggest you surrender to prevent further bloodshed, but that would probably be a useless statement given what kind of man you are."

The tyrant king's face twisted further into anger at Arturia's words, "The kind of man I am…" He stood from his jagged ebony throne and marched slowly towards them, as his pitch-black form began to ripple and distort, "…the kind of man that I am, IS ONE!" His body contorted down on all fours as wings sprung up from his back. Arturia and her knights held their weapons ready to defend themselves, "WHO WILL NOT YIELD!" Vortigern grew in size that made the vast throne room shrink in size, all the while leaving more than enough space for the knights to maneuver themselves for what was to come with his voice becoming beastly, "BRIT**AIN TO MAN ITSELF!"** Their eyes widened in shock at the sight of what Vortigern had become…

"**OR A BASTARD CHILD THAT CLAIMS TO BE A FALSE KING!"**

No longer were the knights standing at the ready to attack a man… no… now before stood a massive Black Dragon. The symbol of their enemies that threatened to overtake Britain. Vortigern's head drew back as his mouth began to glow a white, signaling that he was about to use his Dragon's Breath with lighting building up around his face.

Naruto's connection to nature reeled in pain at what now stood before him. Vortigern was a hole in the world and stood against the common sense of man, now empowered by the blood of a supreme Phantasmal Species, one so steeped in mystery that if it got loose, none would stand a chance. He knew instinctively that they had no time to retreat to safety from the attack, "My King! Avalon!"

Arturia knew well enough what Naruto had meant, "Stay by my side! Both of you!" Arturia sheathed Excalibur as she brought forth Avalon in front of her, "Look upon the everdistant utopia! AVALON!" The scabbard dissipated into particles that surrounded the three, just as Vortigern unleashed his Dragon's Breath; Lightning and Ice. The ice froze everything within its range, as the lightning blew away the walls and structures, with the door leading into the hall collapsed. The weather outside began to turn into rain and thunder, as Vortigern's presence was a hole in the world itself.

The explosion kept going, expanding upwards into the clouds above and into the heavens beyond that. The dark light made all who looked upon it quail in despair at the might of the dragon lord who had inherited the darkness of Britain... no.

This was Britain given form, a horrid beast spitting bile and hate upon those who lived there all for the sake of preserving its own sense of reality.

"We have to end this now, my king!" Gawain shouted as the roar of the dragon bellowed through what was left of the hall.

Naruto had to agree with Gawain. Vortigern's dragon power was stronger than Arturia's own, "He's right, he's getting stronger by the minute, and the weather outside is becoming bad if that crack of thunder's anything to go by." Naruto saw that the tyrant-turned-Dragon was crawling his way over to them. They could hide behind Avalon's barrier with Arturia, but then they'd just be playing defense the entire time, with the rest of the army and inner circle vulnerable to the bastard.

Arturia glanced to her knights by her side, as she motioned for them to tackle the beast from its sides while she took him head-on. It was no problem for her, all in thanks to Avalon, however Gawain & Naruto would need to be quick with their own attacks. Excalibur's golden shine became bright as can be just as Galatine's light emanated from the hilt that channeled into the blade, all the while Naruto channeled Wind & Fire Mana into the dagger to inflict the opposite of the White Dragon's power to weaken it.

They split up and dashed at it from three separate angles to deliver as much damage as they could, but it was a seemingly fruitless endeavor. The pitch-black scales seemed to eat away at the matter that came in contact with it. Naruto turned quickly, raising Carnaween above his head, summoning five large balls of magical energy. "**Ye five great dragons of destruction and ill repute, Harken!" **the orbs began to grow and shift into the shapes that mimicked their dark opponent, drawing a growl from the black dragon. **"Your horror is warranted, but your crimes are suspended. You are needed to slay my enemy!" **Naruto sped forwards while the dragons continued to grow in size till they Vortigern.

Gawain saw what Naruto was about to do, coming to the conclusion that if they were going to beat Vortigern, then it would have to be now. He held Galatine out before him before turning it to the right. "Tyrant King! In your horror and fever to maintain your ideal, you have ruined countless lives!" Tossing Galatine with a superhuman feat of strength and letting out a shout, Gawain watched as it span further and further into the sky till it was but a pinprick. "Each and every life you have incurred a debt to, for lives and happiness unattainable!"

High above them all came a sudden explosion of light that pushed away the darkness exuded by the dragon if but for a moment, the glare obscuring it to most of the soldiers fighting outside. None looked up at it, but that was for the best, for where there had once been a sword was now a small star burning bright. A large golden magic circle formed beneath Gawain's feet with him at its center.

"This sword is a reflection of the sun, now Tyrant King, I shall collect your debts!" A second later a concentrated beam of golden light shot down from the star, stopping before Gawain. Grimacing in exertion, Gawain grabbed the base of the pillar in both hands as if wielding a sword. Planting one foot forwards while bracing his arms in readiness, Gawain let out a roar before swinging the entire pillar of light out in a lateral arc. "EXCALIBUR GALATINE!"

The broad wave of concentrated light collided with Vortigern who let out a screech of pain tinged anger, being sent sliding back into the destroyed walls of the keep. But the bombardment continued when Naruto's five magecraft constructs dogpiled onto the dragon before detonating with the force of a fifteen megaton nuke. The amount of dust kicked up by the blast was such that the entire battlefield was blanketed in a thick smokescreen of dirt.

"Keep the pressure on!" Naruto called, sending a blast of wind out to clear some of the dust.

Arturia followed his lead into the dust with Excalibur clutched tightly in her hands, knocking away pieces of fallen debris that continued to rain down on them from above but then being forced to jump to the side as Vortigern's great draconic maw emerged with frightening speed. She let out a shout of exertion and slashed upwards with the golden blade to carve up the open mouth, the divine construct nicking the roof of the beats mouth and sending it running back into the dust as it spits out some of its almost black blood onto the floor.

Snarling in discontent, Arturia pursued her transformed uncle, her armored form dancing amidst the destroyed room like a ballerina of combat, wanting to bring an end to this horrid creature, a being that had been the cause of so much misery for her and countless others. Amassing Prana once more in her arm before swinging outward, Arturia used Strike Air to create a vacuum that sucked the dust away. Vortigern was revealed to them once again, his dark form silhouetted by the lightning strikes racing across the heavens.

"Naruto, keep him pinned down, Gawain, how long before you can use Galatine again?" Arturia barked out orders to her two retainers, not taking her eyes off the battlefield for even a moment, causing both of the male blonde's to pay attention. "You can sense it can't you, he is a slave to his power, but once he gained control over himself, he will only grow stronger, therefore we must finish him now."

"I am not sure, my King. That was the first time I have used Galatine in such a way beyond practice, and we grow more fatigued by the second." Galatine's blue glow was fainter than it had been before, he watched as the dragon roused itself from whatever affect their prior attacks had dealt it. The dark glow from the mouth of the beast was the only warning that Gawain was given before he was forced to bring his blade up to bat away a black beam of concentrated fire.

Naruto was not idle in this time. His red eyes darted from side to side, hoping to pick out any details from the environment that could be used against his enemy, settling on the remnants of a large archway that now stood over the Dragon King. Bounding forth in a flutter of movement like a leaf caught in the wind, Naruto juked and jived around more of the black beams that Vortigern fired from his growling form, somersaulting in ways that the human body would break if a regular person were to attempt. Arturia took this as a chance to advance of the Dragon seeing as it's attention was firmly placed on Naruto, steering clear of the ever-encroaching shadow of black magic energy that seemed to drip from Vortigern like foul ichor.

Reaching the archway, Naruto placed his hand against it and utilized the most basic of Magecraft skills, structural analysis, to analyze the composition and nature of what was left of the once grand edifice. **"Stresse! Gehen!", **the short Aria was all that was needed to send a shock of potent magical energy into rock, more importantly into the myriad weaknesses and imperfections within it, each and every one calculated in such a way as to elicit a precise reaction. The main crossbeam of the archway was sheared off from the point of impact with a biblical crash, sending the seven hundred and forty-five tonne slab of marble and granite crashing down on the dragon.

Vortigern let out a trembling screech of pain and distraught anger as the massive rock piece pinned him to the ground, but that was not all the ninja had in store for the tyrant. Naruto's body exploded with golden light as he engaged Six Paths mode, ignoring the sudden influx of information about nature beneath his feet. He could hear it, the cries of Britain raging out at being perverted by such a vain and disgusting creature as Vortigern. He knew that he would not be able to hold the boost in power for very long, given that he could already feel the tremblings of the Counter Force.

"**Herald of all creation, heed my call! Burn away that which is my foe, dice it from existence and scatter its ashes to the seven winds. Let none remember your name amid the ****spiraling**** torrent of the Root!" **Above Naruto a familiar whir began to form as he took in the ambient Mana and combined it with his Prana, spiraling it in so many different directions while condensing its nature to a small ball. Concept and memory, set. In between steps understood, miracle duplicated as far as Gaia allowed. Push beyond. Further and more extensive did the orb grow, filling the ruins of the castle with nothing but the screech of a demonic bell.

Arturia and Gawain looked upon what Naruto had created and openly gawked at the size and complexity of the technique, no less than a trillion individual blades of sharp magic rotation within a giant blue-white orb with a gold and red nucleus at its centre. As it grew four curved white blades expanded from its epicentre with magic circles of each individual element at the four corners and poles of the sphere. **"Mother's wish, father's genius, son's desire and lover's blessing! Let the name be known and carved into the world, ARCHMAGUS RASENSHURIKEN!"**

With that, Naruto hurled the spiraling projectile down at the overgrown lizard, expanding to the size of a small house before striking like a meteorite hitting the earth and causing the Dragon King to let out the most unholy cry of rage and pain. A trillion blades of Prana endlessly cut away at the thick scales and began the act of grinding them down to a fine powder, but that was just on the surface. The lightning spells woven into its primary spell would shock away at pain receptors while fire spells cauterized the wounds, preventing them from healing over completely. Water and earth would aggravate the burns to the point of unending agony before the central nucleus reached critical mass and exploded like a supernova.

The entire upper floors of the castle were wiped away in a vermilion flash of pure power, Naruto himself having to use a quick burst of Flash AIr to distort space to avoid being caught up in the blast.

The cloud bank above them all sputtered out of existence from the sudden movement of superheated air into the atmosphere and in the days to come many who were at the battle would complain about a bright spot in their vision from where they had seen it.

Naruto disengaged Six Paths mode in an effort to maintain power before sprinting for the crater in hopes of finishing the beast once and for all.

But as Naruto dashed forward, he failed to see the tail of the Dragon whipping right at him from within the debris kicked up by his attack, the deadly spikes that jutted from it impaling him. Naruto let out a hoarse shout at the unfamiliar pain, he had for so long been used to things not being able to injure or wound him for the last eighty years, so to his surprise what came next was indeed a genuine surprise. Already recovering, Naruto dug his fingers into the tail's flesh and used his strength to tear it from the tail before ripping it out of his stomach and tossing it to the ground.

"Naruto!" Arturia screamed in horror at seeing the large hole in Naruto's stomach, but he waved her off with a and shout.

As Arturia leapt into the air to deliver a blow at one of the wings, only to find the Dragon's tail lash against her body. Arturia was flung back into the wall as she felt the stone break against her back, "Dammit, I didn't expect something so big to be so…" She was cut off as she felt her shoulder grow damp with something warm, "Wha…?" Arturia looked to her shoulder to see that a spike that came from Vortigern had jammed itself into her body, and piercing it.

All there looked at what was left of Vortigern and were shocked to see him still standing albeit with some effort. There was not a single scale on his body left untouched by the onslaught of the attacks, and one of those black eyes had been completely blown from its socket, not to mention its wings now lie in bloody tatters. "How the fuck is that thing still alive, and how did it hit me?" Naruto grunted, looking away from the panting dragon to his own wound.

**_'Idiot! Did you not listen to those lessons from the Flower Magus!?'_ **Kurama roared, his power surging towards the injury in conjunction with Naruto's vampiric healing. **_'When Brunestud bit you, it integrated you into the systems of this world. The White Dragon has been alive for tens of thousands of years so it has far more mystery, of course you would be susceptible to something derived directly from its power.'_**

"Naruto!"

He heard Arturia's voice as she struggled to slash at Vortigern's jaws attempting to bite her in half, just as Gawain rushed to his side while slashing at the belly of the dragon. He quickly pivoted himself to Naruto's side to hold him, "Are you alright?" The Knight of the Sun asked, looking at the slowly closing wound.

Naruto simply stared at the hand that now had his blood on it, with the hole the spike made still in his body, "I-I'm fine, but… I'll worry about me; you and the King need to focus on Vortigern." Gawain would've protested, but seeing the King face the tyrant on her own valiantly, he needed to aid the King. If Naruto stated that he would take care of himself, then he would do so. "I've weakened it enough to be killed, don't waste this chance!" Gawain nodded as he propped Naruto up behind a pillar out of the battle, with the Knight of the Sun charging back into the fray.

As the vicious battle continued on, Naruto saw a door that held on the odd sensation that he couldn't describe. As much as he wanted to help Arturia in the fight, he was in no state to go back out before regenerating, already starting to feel dizzy from the wound. Some sort of poison or toxin that was within the spike. Naruto mused that somehow Vortigern had been enhanced by Morgan, and if this feeling he was getting was something similar behind the door, then he needed to investigate to make sure there weren't any more surprises waiting for them, "Ok, nothing ventured… wait, wrong saying. Crap I don't know, but I gotta find out if there's more here than we think."

Naruto took out the spike as he began applying healing magecraft to his wound as he opened the door to smell another Dragon down below… "Great…"

* * *

-Arturia & Gawain-

The intense battle felt as if it had carried on for an hour or so, yet there was no telling of time right now. Vortigern attempted to swipe away at Arturia, **"I WILL BURN BRITAIN TO THE GROUND TO STOP MAN FROM OBTAINING IT! YOU ARE WEAK AND NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO PROTECT THESE LANDS!"** The Dragon bellowed at Arturia as the light from Excalibur began to fade after slashing at the flesh of her uncle, little more than a dull fire now compared with its former shining glory. Gawain's own blade had lost its own shine with the darkness that Vortigern emanated from within, as the storm raged outside while their armies clashed one last time.

Gawain began to falter with his blows all the while avoiding the claws and tail of the dragon before he shouted, "My King! The body of the enemy is Britain itself! Despite our holy weapons, we cannot win as we are now, we should retreat!" Vortigern embodied the darkness of Britain and the curse that lie within it.

However, this did not deter Arturia one bit. With a smile that showed no hint of despair, "Fear not hardy Gawain, for he swallowed Galatine's light and could not consume Excalibur's own!" She ducked under the tail that ruined a pillar that caused a portion of the foundations to collapse beneath them, only for the debris to strike one of the ruined wings causing Vortigern to cry out in pain as the wounds Naruto inflicted were aggravated, "I will require your assistance once more. But where is Naruto?" She saw out of the corner of her eye that he was nowhere to be seen. Arturia believed him to take cover as he recovered from the grisly wound that scared her half to death, having become accustomed to no weapon, be they blade, arrow or spear to harm him at all.

"**IT IS YOUR HUMANITY THAT WILL LEAD BRITAIN TO RUIN!"** Vortigern bellowed out, seeing the smile upon her face that showed him nothing but weakness in his eyes. For a true king of Britain, could never let humanity to rule and safeguard the lands.

Arturia lost her smile as she called out to Gawain, "Pin him down! We cannot allow him to escape!" Arturia dodged a small blast of lighting from the dragon's mouth as she twisted Excalibur down to stab Vortigern's right foreleg to keep him from moving. Vortigern let out a painful cry as he began to thrash about as his tail to nearly sideswipe Gawain as he rushed forward to pin the other arm down, "Good, now to end this once and for all!" Arturia called for Rhongomyniad as she channeled her Mana into the spear to charge it up and undo the seals placed upon it.

The spiral lance changed form with light that shone as bright as Excalibur, if not more so. Gawain was shocked upon seeing the weapon, as he had never seen it before until today, "What is that shining lance?!"

Wind emanated from its form before gold and white energy began to spiral outwards from its center, pushing back her uncle's darkness. With each seal unlocked came a metallic click, the light growing brighter with each one until rings of magical script encircled the spear that shines at the world's end.

Arturia held the lance behind her as she positioned herself to thrust the light into the dragon, "Holy lance, anchor! Let the light be released from the Ends of the World!" Seven seals came undone as the area around her began to vibrate and blind all to the King's magnificence, "It shall split the heavens, and connect the land!" She attempted to undo another seal through her own will but believed that with the power she had with seven undone, that it would be enough to kill Vortigern, "Anchor of the Storm!" she sprinted forth before jumping into the air and falling towards her enemy.

"RHONGOMYNIAD!" She thrust the spiraling lance forward, the light skewered Vortigern in his heart, ripping clean through his body and cleansing the darkness with holy fire. The shockwave released had sent Gawain flying back, and the clouds blew away from the land where the castle had once stood as if the world wished to stand in reverence of what had just occurred.

As the light died down, Gawain let his arms down to see the dragon that was once Vortigern fall to the floor, as life began to leave his breath. The maw of the dragon had come down only inches away from Arturia, a figure falling from the flesh that had been stolen. Gone was the dragon king of the north, so to was the pitch-black hole in the world, all that was left was a simpering old man clad in tattered armor, **"SO… YOU HAVE THAT LANCE… FOOLS… TO DEFEAT A TYRANT, YOU WOULD CALL FORTH EVEN GREATER RUIN… CHILD OF MY BROTHER, UTHER… YOU CANNOT SAVE THIS KINGDOM… YOU CANNOT WIN AGAINST MANKIND…"**

Arturia narrowed her eyes at the old man, "I beg to differ. Everything that I and my retainers have done, have saved this country from evil, as is your own as well."

The former dragon merely spat up blood to the side before he let one small haughty laugh, **"BECAUSE THE AGE OF FAIRIES IS NOW OVER… NOW THE AGE OF MAN WILL COME FORTH… THE POWER YOU WILED IS BEYOND MAN AND AT ODDS WITH MAN… AS LONG AS YOU EXIST TO CONTRADICT WHAT IS, BRITAIN HAS NO FUTURE… DAMN YOUR FATE… THE OLD BRITAIN FELL… LONG…AGO…"**

"What do you mean?" Arturia could only find confusion in his words.

Vortigern shifted his head up slightly to glare at Arturia, before his voice began to return to normal and fade away, finding the strength to muster up one last speech, **"Don't you see dear niece? Humans do nothing but bring about the downfall of common sense and mystery. It is that human weakness that brings about strife and suffering. Look at you, a monster… a dragon such as I… playing at being a human... that contradiction will lead Britain to ruin. **A true king...can never be...human."

And so, ends the reign of the tyrant Vortigern… only for the victorious niece to wonder… was he right in the end?

* * *

-Naruto-

Naruto made his way down the stairs slowly as he held his healing wound, "What the hell do you have down here, Vortigern?" His question was answered as he came down to the floor as he saw it: Albion. The original White Dragon, the opposite of the Red Dragon whose blood flowed and heart beat through Arturia's veins.

_**'**_**Watch your ass down here…'** Kurama warned the Apostle, _**'****Who the hell knows what else is down here.'**_

What once would've been a majestic, yet deadly creature, was now but a shell of its former self. Chained and forced to feed on rotten meat, the dragon was barely a threat. It held numerous cuts in its scales where a mystic dagger no doubt, was thrust into the beast's hide, no doubt for the powerful blood it carried.

Naruto saw off to the side that numerous, large bottles of the dragon's blood had been filled to the brim with cork capped off on the vials. No doubt Vortigern had used them to try an empower himself to be able to transform into the damned thing, "You really got it bad, didn't you?"

Albion seemed to understand him a bit as it barely nodded its head, like an animal that had long accepted its fate in confinement. Whether or not this being was Arturia's enemy, Naruto would not allow the dragon to suffer any longer, though neither would he put it down, if by some chance he could since its Mystery was greater than his own.

Naruto would free the dragon, for one last soar through the sky. Judging from the way it was looking at him, that was all it wanted to do, "Alright, Albion. I'm setting you free." Naruto saw the chains that held it down in specific places to hold him back; channelling his Wind Mana into Carnwennan, Naruto sliced through the bindings as Albion got up from his confinement before the two had a stare down that was merely a conveying of thanks.

Albion stretched his slightly tattered wings he ran through the wall that led out to a cliffside, where the dark clouds that Vortigern once conjured up, had begun to vanish, signifying Arturia's victory.

At least he knew now why the castle shook, along with the power of Rhongomynaid being unsealed to kill him, "It's a new day…" The sun rose up from the dark clouds with the god ray shining through the room. Naruto turned to the two bottles of dragon blood, and while he had no need to consume it, he didn't want it to go to waste, "Maybe I can make some Mystic Codes with Albion's blood as the core of them?" Dragon's blood was extremely valuable and powerful. Powerful enough to turn a normal man into a dragon if he so desired it. Powerful enough to imbue a girl with the power to strike down any enemy, she chose to point her blade out.

The possibilities were limitless…

Gathering the bottles of blood into a sealing scroll, Naruto made his way back upstairs to see the Gawain and Arturia standing over the corpse of Vortigern, who had fallen as the dragon, "I see you two were able to handle him pretty well, my king."

Arturia whipped her head around as she rushed over to Naruto; the image of the wound still fresh in her mind, "Are you alright? Did the wound inflict anything serious on you? Will you need treatment? Will you—"

Naruto brought a hand up to stop Arturia's questioning. While it was sweet of her to be concerned for his health since he too was surprised by the sudden incident, he eased her worries, "I'm fine now, you don't have to worry about me. I've treated my wound, see?" He gestured to the healed wound.

Arturia looked back and forth between the wound and her secret lover's expression, not entirely convinced that he was alright, "Very well then… but from now on…" She raised a finger that slightly wagged a bit, "…I want you to never take such risks again. Is that understood?"

Naruto would've played a bit with his words, but with Gawain looking at the exchange, he didn't want to bring any suspicion towards their relationship. The Knight of the Sun was already eyeing them wearily, and it would do no good to bring his attention, or anyone else's towards them, "Understood, my king."

Arturia nodded in response, "Good." She turned back to the corpse of Vortigern, "We've finally done it…"

"Britain is free, my king," Gawain said as he sheathed Galatine.

Naruto stepped forward as he placed his free hand on her shoulder, "I think the army will want to see their king's victorious speech, no?"

Arturia hummed in response, "Yes. After this ordeal, the men could use some good morale after all we have endured these past seven years." Naruto went to retrieve Excalibur who promptly returned it to Arturia, as they made their way back outside to the large courtyard where her army had forced Vortigern's remaining forces to surrender.

The inner circle made their way towards those who fought the tyrant, with Kay bringing up the question, "I take it that the so-called 'Dragon King' is dead and no longer a problem?" He knew the answer, having heard the roar of the dragon, along with that strange bright light that shot through the roof of the castle, nevertheless he asked away.

Arturia gave a small smile as she nodded, "Indeed. While I would've preferred that he surrender to us so that he would stand trial, Vortigern is no longer in power, with Britain now free of all threats to her people and lands." She looked around to see a battlement that rose above them all and promptly made her way up to give her speech to the army, with the inner circle following behind. Looking around the courtyard and beyond, Arturia was proud of their accomplishments and achievements, and so was the time to congratulate them all, "My fellow countrymen… today, we have won!" The army roused in cheer at the news, "Today, we have freed Britain from tyranny and evil! This is our time now! We will continue to protect Britain as we build our future, free of such things!" Another rousing cheer louder than before rose up, "And now, we can at last rest from our ordeal over these past seven years, but we must remain vigilant, for whatever threats that may come for us. Whether they be from within our lands, across the seas from barbarians and Saxons, or the fractured Roman Empire that seeks to rebuild and retake what they've lost, Britain… Camelot, will stand at the ready!" A final cheer came from the army as the men were proud of their King's words for them.

Naruto stood right next to hear, and was about to bring something up in a whisper to her ear, however… the frown upon her face led him to ask if she was alright, "My king… are you alright?" It was very rare for him to see Arturia frown, and when she did, it meant she had something on her mind for a little bit.

Arturia turned to Naruto as she appeared to be in some sort of small daze, "Hmm? Oh… yes, I am alright, Naruto. There's no need to concern yourself over me right now." She glanced to the previous wound and back to him, "However, I want you to make extra sure that wound will not act up again, understood?"

Naruto chuckled a bit, "I understand, my king."

While Arturia deflected Naruto's concern, her uncle's final words were gnawing away at her mind. Her humanity is what brought them this far… but… if the Mystery & Magic of the age was coming to an end, what did that mean for Britain's future? Perhaps on some level… was he right…? Perhaps a king needed to be inhuman to rule Britain…

* * *

-Several Hours Later, the Remains of Vortigern's Throne Room-

Footsteps echoed through what was left of the throne room, with only the corpse of the Dragon within it, "Oh, Vortigern…" Morgan le Fay had returned not long after her sister, and the army had left to set up their camp not too far away from the castle, "…despite having the White Dragon's power within you, and taking his form, you failed in the end. Just like I knew you would." Of course, she knew her uncle would fall to her sister. It helped to incite his anger with the revelation that a little girl was the one responsible for such actions of overtaking his 'kingship' if it could even be called that.

On the other hand, she had no idea that Arturia possessed Rhongomyniad… that was something she wasn't sure how she would deal with. Nevertheless, she would continue to plan away at her sister's downfall. Morgan strode over to the patch of blood that had been made from Naruto, with the spike having been pulled him his body that had been drenched in his blood, "You really should be more careful, Apostle. You never know what might happen if someone were to make something of this…" Morgan chuckled briefly before she had the second requirement for her tool…

The Blood of the White Dragon, Albion.

The Blood of the 'Knight of Sky Silver', Naruto; a divine Dead Apostle.

Now she needed one last thing… and it would be provided by her sister in due time…

* * *

_Musings of a Wizard Marshal_

_By K.Z.S._

_I have often found myself wondering about that great pillar of light that fastens together the world, Rhongomyniad. For such a thing to exist yet have so little information about it, you can't help but wonder where it came from. Was it a phantasm coughed up by the planet for the planet like Excalibur after it? Or instead handled by those who forged this world from atoms and fire. All I know is that given how it pins the textures to the planet it would fall into the realm of the Gods, but the Gods have left this world, some have died while most of them simply moved on to a higher plain._

_After Cammlann, [REDACTED} took the lance with him and hid it in a small village deep in the Welsh countryside in the hopes that none would find it and that maybe the mystery of the age could be preserved. Of that, I have to thank him because navigation of textures is one of the steps towards the Second Magic and I can't exactly have people finding out the mechanics of that in too much detail...not without me teaching them of course~._

_It became a tradition amongst that village to pair the lance with a line of infants in the hopes that one day, King Arthur would return through them, noble but foolish. But I can't help but wonder, perhaps there is another facet of the Kaleidoscope where Arturia never let go of the lance. What would she have become then I wonder? A goddess in an age that could have used miracles? Or maybe just a woman determined to do anything to stay by her lover's side._

* * *

-Of Things to Come…-

"_I've known for quite some time about you two…"_

"_A marriage proposal?"_

"_You will be loyal to our king…"_

"_I will need you to take my place in court from time to time."_

"_I'm afraid of what this will bring us."_

"_You are still so beautiful…"_

"_And now…? Now I can create my tool… my child Mordred…"_

* * *

_**Holy crap! This took forever, easily the longest single chapter I have ever written at 41K… so many things got in the way, but I still managed to get this done.**_

_**Anyways, this concludes the 'Rise' section of the Camelot arc, with the 'Glory' section beginning next and the drama goes up a bit that follows further on with introducing more Camelot characters.**_

_**Also, I will more than likely attending college this semester, so there's no telling when I'll be able to update, but I'll be sure to work on this story whenever I have the free time to do so.**_

_**Be sure to let me know what you guys liked and/or disliked about the chapter in the reviews please, otherwise I can't become a better writer. While I appreciate the kudos and all, I do enjoy seeing actual reviews. Flamers will be ignored, so anyone that's all **_**"You suck at writing, kill yourself."**_** You guys shall be ignored.**_

_**Anyways, until next time!**_


	8. Chapter 7: The Glory of Camelot Part I

_**Big Chungus.**_

_**That was the name of the last chapter, and rightfully named as such. I'm not sure if I'll be able to write another chapter that long unless special circumstances interfere, and I'm forced to do so. Although there is one upcoming chapter within the Camelot Act that may beat it or so.**_

_**Anyways, I was kinda disappointed by the lack of reviews from the previous chapter compared to the others, as well as how many have been popping up in comparison to the vast amount of people that have favorited and followed this story. But I guess that's just the way of fanfiction, no harm no foul.**_

_**In other news, the second Heaven's Feel film, Lost Butterfly, released this November on blu-ray. The third film, Spring Song is releasing in theaters next year for those of you that don't know. The Fate/Zero complete series blu-ray box set released in October, though it said there was supposed to be uncut episodes, though having watched it through and on Netflix, I hardly saw a difference. As for Grand Order, the Babylonia series dropped and while I'm not too big on the arc, the series has been a lotta fun, however… the thing I'm most hyped for are the Camelot films set to release within the next couple of years!**_

_**But I still want Ufotable to remake the Fate route either as a TV or film series and complete the full story of Fate/stay night! Preferably a TV series, to get the most out of having a good story with proper development to make us care about the characters. The Heaven's Feel films just don't draw you into the characters properly to make you care about them, not like the DEEN series, Zero & UBW did. I couldn't bring myself to really care what happened. Sure, the animation is god-tier, but nothing else drew me in.**_

_**So, onto reviews that I was unable to respond to or PM properly –**_

_**Archilles**__** – Thanx, I'm glad you think so of this chapter.**_

_**ChilledKitsune**__** – She can though she has never considered walking on the ocean, where there's no telling what animal would pop out to the surface, and possibly attack her as she was.**_

_**As for when shit hits the fan and Merlin giving Arturia the wang, well you'll just have to keep on reading ;)**_

_**Old steamer**__** – Well, you'll have to keep on reading to see just what all happens with Morgan's plans.**_

_**xXwolfsterXx644**__** – With Morgan getting destroyed, all I can say is to keep on reading ;)**_

_**Habu2010**__** – Dude… seriously…? I just gave you a Big Chungus and you as for more? Please don't ask of such things when they're coming regardless. Instead please tell me what you liked and/or disliked about the new chapter instead.**_

_**Imperiumjay**__** – I'm glad that you waited for such a long chapter :) with their relationship advancing, I felt it natural at this point in things for them to be able to finally consummate their love for one another, even if a child would not be possible without outside circumstances intervening in things.**_

_**No one else seems to really be commenting upon the Merlin interactions that I felt would advance Naruto's character and his own development as a person. Glad someone did at least.**_

_**Now with Mordred, I'm glad another person is hyped for when she finally appears.**_

_**Carlos619**__** \- Oh I see, why didn't I rob Arturia of the main catalysts for her development as a character? Silly me. I should instead retroactively remove the items that are the central driving force for this entire act, that can't possibly go wrong in a "fucking annoying" way.**_

_**anto7896**__** – Lol, yeah, I did pull it out of my ass… well sort of… but anyways, thanx man!**_

_**Lol, but anyways, the arc isn't over yet. Rather instead it's part 1 of the Camelot Act of this story, with only a few more chapters before it's over.**_

_**wrightdylen21**__** – You're welcome, but what all did you like and or/dislike about the new chapter?**_

_**KSS**__** – Thanx, but all I can say is that masterpieces take time to create, so there's no telling when the next chapter occurs.**_

_**Guest; Chapter 7, September 5**__**th**__** – Perhaps, perhaps not. With how Rhongomyniad is, the lance now has the 13 restraints upon it that are rather tricky to undo, so while others could technically wield it, they can't utilize its full power. Nor can anyone get it like a trading card. The lance is stored within a pocket dimension of Merlin's creation, and only Arturia can recall it forth to her with her mana. As for its future, the lance will play a role later down the line, so don't think it's done and over with.**_

_**anonimo**__** – Not sure what you're trying to type up here dude.**_

_**inu naru**__** – Any chance you can translate this to english, please? It'd make reading it easier.**_

_**invoker26**__** – Lol, thanx and I'm glad that you're enjoying the story so far. So, what all else have you liked and/or disliked about the new chapter?**_

_**Markus-Antonius**__** – Thanx, this chapter was dubbed "Big Chungus" throughout the process. It quite possibly sent my Beta into a coma.**_

_**Yeah, so what all else did you like and/or dislike about the new chapter?**_

_**Guest; Chapter 7, September 6**__**th**__** – Lol, prolly cause so many people enjoy it. Especially since it's different from everything else and it's rather unique.**_

_**Issei ODR**__** – Please, translate what you say to make things easier for me. Anyways, glad you enjoyed the lemon, and no, it wasn't Morgan. Naruto would've noticed that. I can neither confirm nor deny Naruto's potential for that last bit mentioned there.**_

_**Rider09**__** – You'll have to wait and see what I have planned for Mordred ;)**_

_**Stratos263**__** – Indeed, and yup.**_

_**OneWhoCantWrite**__** – I'm glad that you've enjoyed the Legend of Camelot act so far. Lancelot is such a bro about it, and he has a noble heart to see that such a relationship, while hidden and dangerous, can also be something good for Camelot. As for how this will affect Fate/Zero, all I can say is to wait and see ;)**_

_**Morgan of course is up to no good with more tricks up her sleeve. I am curious as to what you thought about how Mordred would be though, and yes, we'll be getting some Agravain here and in the future.**_

_**As for the Green Knight, I'm glad that you found the changes refreshing from the original lore behind it, with it being adjusted for TYPE-MOON stuff.**_

_**lou the winner**__** – I'm glad that you're enjoying where I'm taking the story :)**_

_**PasiveNox**__** – Yup, so what all did you like and/or dislike about the new chapter?**_

_**Guest; Chapter 7, September 11**__**th**__** – That I have taken into account, and I'm glad that there are people like yourself that do point that out to writers, otherwise they don't get better. So, what all did you like and/or dislike about the new chapter?**_

_**DragonOfApocalypse**__** – I'm glad you love this fic! I'm glad that you're excited. You're welcome and I appreciate your support. So, what all did you like and/or dislike about the new chapter?**_

_**JaegarpilotFTW**__** – Thanx, I'm glad that you like the story! As for Carnwennan, Naruto forged the dagger for himself, out of the mithril that Altrouge gave to him, with Merlin's teachings into creating Mystic Codes. And no, he won't give it to Arturia later on; it's something that he himself keeps on his person at all times.**_

_**Oh yeah, many people aren't well versed in the Nasuverse lore, being mostly casuals that only watch the Fate anime's. Granted the franchise is TYPE-MOON's money maker and most popular title, the Kara no Kyoukai (Garden of Sinners) series is something that I think a lot of people should watch, as it introduces and explains the fundamentals of the Nasuverse itself, such as the Root, the Counter Force, Origin & Element, etc. While it's not as well known or as popular as Fate, it's a film series that I think everyone should watch to better understand the Nasuverse.**_

_**Guest; Chapter 7, September 24**__**th**__** – You're welcome :)**_

_**Guest; Chapter 7, September 29**__**th**__** – I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.**_

_**Guest; Chapter 1, October 1**__**st**__** – Lol, glad you've enjoyed this story thus far.**_

_**AlternateReality**__** – Duly noted.**_

_**Guest; Chapter 1, October 10**__**th**__** – I'm glad this fic has become your favorite story. There really aren't any fics that go back to the time of Camelot and remain good in their writing. I wish we could see more of it from TYPE-MOON though, considering how much lore they've written up already on her, as well as those connected to her.**_

_**Odinori**__** – Thank you, and I'm glad that you're so eager for this new chapter :) Oh yes, Camelot will fall eventually sad to say…**_

_**And so now, on with the next chapter! The 2**__**nd**__** section of the Camelot arc, "The Glory of Camelot"!**_

* * *

Chapter 7 – The Glory of Camelot Part I

-Summer 474 AD; Camelot-

Eight months have passed since the usurper, Vortigern, had been toppled. All of Britain had finally been united under Camelot, with Arturia accepted as the rightful king of the country. The capital had at last been completed, with the palace standing above all other structures, adorned in metal plating that shone brightly as silver when the sun gleamed down upon it.

'_The Shining Silver City of Britain'_

That is what Camelot was called by those living within and beyond their lands. A city that would one day rival Rome in Italy, even surpass the Empire's crown jewel from its halcyon glory.

Naruto stood atop the nearby mountain that oversaw the city standing proud and tall. Many structures had been finally built within the wall that stood sentinel at six stories adorned with battlements and quarters for the city guard to bunk for rotations.

The drawbridge leading to the northern wall was completed connecting to the old Roman road system that had trade flowing up to the far north in Scotland, where the lords of those lands pledged their fealty to Arturia for her graciousness and defeat of the usurper.

Speaking of his king, as of late, she had been rather off kilter in a way, distant from him and yet overprotective in other ways.

"I wonder if she's doing alright?" Naruto sat up from his spot on the mountain, the very same spot where he had taken Arturia to back on their first date, and teleported back to his room in time to see the door open with his muse entering, "Ar—" Naruto quickly corrected himself, unable to break from the habit of calling Arturia by her real name, the door was open, and there was no telling who else was outside with her, "—my king. Was there something you needed to talk about?" Judging from her expression, it was a serious matter.

"We're going to march on the Saxon's final War Encampment." Red eyes widened slightly at the news. Ever since Vortigern was deposed, the Saxon raiders had been cut off from their primary supporter and erratic changes in their command structure that followed led to raids on small settlements. They had become desperate to survive in Britain with Camelot cracking down on all invaders.

"And I take it we'll need to discuss our next move?" The Apostle asked.

Arturia nodded brusquely, "I've actually taken the liberty of discussing the strategy already with the others."

Naruto was subtly shocked by her words, "Oh, I see…"

Arturia quickly moved into the room, making sure to shut the door behind her, "I apologize. The meeting was held between the others and me this morning." She gripped his shoulders, getting up on her toes to give him a peck on the lips, "I did not want to wake and worry you over the details. From what I understand, the battle will be short and swift with the Wild Hunt at our side."

Ah yes… the Wild Hunt.

An army of warrior fairies and phantasmal beasts that swore their fealty and lives to Arturia not long after she had killed Vortigern with Rhongomyniad. It had been led by many beings of power and high repute over the millennia, the Great God Odin being a foremost example. The sight of a mortal with the blood of a Dragon, wielding legendary holy weapons to strike at darkness had shown them that such a being was worthy of following into battle. That and being the linchpin to the Age of Fairies brought one many benefits to utilize in certain situations.

Naruto knew just how well such an army could be used to cripple the opposing force, in a world where the average human held no inherent supernatural power. The ninja sighed at Arturia's concern for him. Arturia had consistently stuck to Naruto like glue, pulling him along with her to meetings, their meals, training… bedtime… amongst other more intimate activities. She never once allowed him to leave her side, save for a scant few things, but that was it. Perhaps it was seeing him wounded in battle that brought her to these actions?

Naruto leaned down and placed his forehead against her own as he closed his eyes, "I guess you have everything in hand then." The way he spoke held tones of disappointment, although he was not offended by her choice.

Arturia embraced him before speaking again, "I need you to watch over the capital while I'm gone as Regent." Naruto stood straighter at those words, being regent was a considerable responsibility, having to oversee the day-to-day activities, tending to the requests from lords, along with ensuring the protection of the city among other things.

"Alright, I'll be sure to take care of things while you're gone." They shared a chaste kiss before they departed to the rest of the army awaiting their king.

* * *

Night had fallen in the day that had passed since the departing of the King of Knights' army. Naruto was left to tend to the daily tasks of running the city along with responding to the requests and messages from local kings and lords. He pulled up his hood to help maintain the glamour that he was Merlin who had been officially listed as Lord Regent while the King was absent.

Merlin, unfortunately, had gone on another of his "walkabouts", leaving Naruto alone to do most of the work. Damn that Pervy Mage; said teacher of his had commended him on all of his progress with his Magecraft, with praise higher than most other. The Mage had even wondered aloud with his unique Origin, that something even more powerful could one day be achieved with time & patience. Naruto had been playing around with the idea of attempting to develop one of the skills inherent to the majority of Dead Apostle Ancestor members, but his current Magecraft related thoughts were turned to more mundane aspects of it.

Specifically, what had happened to Albion in the months since the great White Dragon had been released. According to Merlin, it had last been seen digging down into the heart of Old Londinium. Maddened by its time spent tortured at Vortigern's hands it had attempted to physically burrow to the Reverse Side of the World but had suffocated deep beneath the ground. Even now groups of Magi from both the Atlas Academy and Wondering Sea had begun to set up facilities in that area. The blonde closed the letter, applying a red ink seal to it before stamping it with the King's sigil. "The thing they don't tell you about ruling is that it's a logistical nightmare," Naruto grumbled to himself.

Cath Palug was sleeping peacefully atop his head, to which the Apostle had all but given up on trying to get the little bugger from its claimed sleeping spot. If Fou wanted on his head for naptime, then by the light of Excalibur did he get it.

At least the little familiar had let him be when he was going over the design of a new sword that he had been trying to forge with the blood of Albion; Clarent was its name.

Radiant & Brilliant Royal Sword.

It had been one of Arturia's first requests to Naruto after the throne was secure, commissioning a new sword of selection to replace the now lost Caliburn.

A sword that would designate one as the king and bestow the rightful succession of the throne to the next in line. Though it would also be used for heavy combat as opposed to the previous sword, Caliburn; being able to handle hardier magic and stand against those who would threaten Britain. The blood of Albion would enable one to use the lightning within it to be fired off as a wave similar to Excalibur's light, although nowhere near as powerful. Naruto mused that it would likely be comparable to Arondight and Galatine. While the outward appearance of the blade would be Silver, once activated Albion's blood would leave the sword dyed in a permanent, red-stained color, that would never fade from the edge, something that would showcase the mystical property of the blade to all who would gaze upon it. Given that he was considered a Lesser Fae by the World, Clarent would be the first Fae construct made in the Material World by his own hands.

He decided that once it was finally forged, he would inscribe Fae lettering on the blade, just as the other weapons that he had seen, to showcase just how different the blade was compared to others.

"So, glad that the day's done and over with." he said, depositing the last paperwork firmly in the 'OUT' trey on his desk. Now, Naruto had time to finally sit down and relax for the night. He had tended to the garden within the palace; being a past time hobby of his back when he was still in Konoha, he always enjoyed the work on flowers with making sure they were always healthy to bloom for the seasons, and even brighten up Arturia's room along with their scents to lift her spirits up.

Naruto relaxed as the full moon had risen high above the sky, with the celestial light shining down upon the city. The people had retired for the evening and gone to sleep. The city guard rotating on patrol. The braziers used to illuminate the streets and rooms for those staying up in the after-hours had been lit.

"I wonder how the king's doing right now?" Naruto spoke aloud to himself, knowing fully that he had a guest approaching from behind.

"I'm certain the king is doing just fine." The aged, hoarse voice of Ector rose up. Naruto turned from his spot on the bench that sat in the center of the garden. Ector was an old man now with hair white as snow, yet despite all of that, he still stood proud and tall as a man that was once a knight under the king. Ector wore his casual clothing, although the cane he held was rather new to the ninja.

Ector sat down next to Naruto joining him as he gazed up to the sky, "The moon is certainly full tonight, wouldn't you say so, Naruto?"

For whatever reason, Naruto couldn't help but feel something off with Ector tonight, a torrent of negative emotions wafting from the old man, "It really is, although I don't think that's the reason why you came out here tonight."

Ector nodded at Naruto's assessment. It was hard for a person to fool Naruto's read of the mood, "I'm certain you've seen her recent decisions as of late? Mainly towards you?"

"I have… and I can't figure out why though…"

Ector placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder to try and explain things a bit to Naruto, "It's from that wound you received from Vortigern. Ever since you came back, she's been concerned for your safety, even if she feels it best to restrict you from battle." He knew just how fiercely protective Arturia of what she considered to be precious to her.

Lord knows how many times she cuddled with that pup Caval when he got sick for a time when she was younger. She refused to leave him alone for a week. "You are her unwavering pillar of strength, and seeing that said pillar can be hurt for the first time? It terrifies her."

Naruto could only grow confused at Ector's words, "But… there's no way I'm letting that happen again." Gesturing to himself as Ector gave him a sad smile, "I was just caught off guard once, I know that I'm not invincible, but I know now that there are things here in this country other than that Fae bitch, that can actually harm me."

Ector was about to speak, that is before his shoulders shook and he brought a perfumed rag from within his jerkin, to his mouth and began to cough rather violently. Naruto grew a concerned look on his face before Ector managed to stop, waving his worry away unconvincingly, "I know. But you must understand that Arturia will protect those that she loves dearly… even those who believe themselves unworthy of love at all, like yourself."

Naruto's eyes widened mildly at what Ector had implied, "So you know about us…?" The Apostle dipped his head down in abashment for not consulting the man who raised his beloved, before committing to a relationship. Granted things were quite different here, yet Naruto couldn't help but feel that bit of shame and embarrassment for doing such a thing.

"I may be old and widowed for many years…" Ector began as calm as can be, "…but I never forget what being in love and being loved by someone looks like." He finished with a sincere tone that spoke of happiness, "I am proud of the woman that she has become, as it would not have been possible without you in her life." Naruto listened intently at what sounded like a heartfelt speech, "I have to admit, when I first met you, I didn't trust you, despite Merlin taking you on as his student. However, seeing you and her over the last seven years brought joy to my heart. You brought out a side of Arturia that I never thought that she would show as the king. A king that endears her subjects with emotions that show the joy of the world." When he had begun her training, he initially believed that Arturia would not allow herself to showcase her emotions to become the king that she felt was necessary to save and rule Britain.

Naruto wasn't sure what to say, "I…"

Ector held a hand up to halt his sentence, "However, there are some things that get in the way of love and life. To speak frankly, I had hoped that you would one day be my son-in-law." Ector pulled out a folded-up parchment from his robes and with much trepidation handed it to a rather shocked Naruto.

At first, Naruto was confused by the usually firm but fair man, unused to such unsureness in his posture, before he froze at the contents within the letter –

"_To his royal majesty, King Arthur Pendragon,_

_Lord Leodegrance of Cornwall wishes to extend his friendship as well as strengthen his bond with the House of Pendragon through holy matrimony. Lady Guinevere, daughter or Leodegrance has stepped forward to join our houses, so that our great country Britain and the Kingdom of Camelot may endure for generations to come."_

There was far more writing upon the letter in that neatly slanting cursive, but Naruto paid it no mind as the parchment slipped from his fingers to land glibly on the dry grass beneath them. Naruto's head dipped in shock before he plucked the letter from the ground and handed the parchment back to Ector, who watched the Apostle bury his head in his hands to just take in… this… lie… "Isn't there… another way this whole matter can be settled…? I mean she can reject it, can't she?! She's the king!" The ninja exclaimed in denial of what was coming.

Ector slowly shook his head, "I'm afraid not. Lord Leodegrance is a man that had supported Uther greatly during his reign, and he has a considerable amount of influence amongst other nobles." Ector explained, "While Arturia is the king and her word is law, but I fear spurning Leodegrance is folly. While all of what she and you have built together and accomplished cannot be swept away or even ignored… I'm afraid Leodegrance could use his influence to make things difficult for us all. Not enough to overthrow Arthur, mind you… as that in itself would be both political -if he somehow survived the retaliation- and literal suicide, but enough to make the future of Britain troublesome."

Cornwall was a significant province, and Leodegrance could stall any future developments with expanding, maintaining and ensuring that Camelot would endure for centuries to come. Planting false rumors and lies, smearing the king's name and whomsoever was close to Arturia, such as her retainers. And if the man found out the truth behind several of the people that helped build Camelot to unite Britain…

Too much was at stake once again, only this time the battlefield was the royal court, as opposed to a war front in the fields.

A far more dangerous battlefield where one never knew who their allies were… or enemies…

_"Look upon my works, ye mighty and despair," _**(1) **Ector said, a look of melancholy upon his aged features. "I heard some great ancient King from Egypt said that once, seems appropriate."

"So…" Naruto began somberly, "…there's no chance of her being able to marry who she wants to…" Naruto looked to the moon as he continued, "…I want to marry her… but there's no chance in hell that'll ever happen now…" Naruto took a deep breath to steady himself in the face of this crushing news.

Ector could see the pain of never being able to have a family in Naruto. Despite being a Dead Apostle who had seen more than his fair share, the love within his heart never ceased for Arturia.

"And I would have happily given my blessing if fate was kin—" Ector began to cough again, far more violently this time around as the perfumed rag was now showing blood on it. Now Naruto knew why it was scented. To hide the blood from his nose and keep things quiet.

"Ector…"

The elderly man wiped the blood away from his lips as he chuckled to himself, "I don't have much time left… it's why I came out here tonight, to tell you before I go…" Ector coughed a little lighter before Naruto placed his hand on the man's shoulder to perform Structural Analysis to see what he was suffering from. Unknown growths on both lungs eating into the bronchial system and damaging Alveoli production. Tumors, Naruto realized.

"Ector…" Naruto began, "…you have lung cancer, and it's terminal."

"Ah… so that is what has caused this…" Ector coughed a bit more into the rag as he wiped away the blood.

Naruto had come to see Ector as a sort of relative to him, not a father but maybe a stern older brother or uncle. The man had raised Arturia from birth, being more of a dad to her, than a father or teacher. The man had hoped to one day see him and his little girl together with a family… "I don't know how to treat what you have, but I can keep you alive if I just..." Never once had Naruto sucked the blood of another living being. The idea of drinking blood in itself was something that disgusted him to no end. But if there were a chance to save someone that he cared for, then he would make the offer if there was still time, or even outright bite them if time was short.

However, Ector shook his head as he held a hand up to stop that line of thinking, "No. I lived as a man, and I shall die as a man. Please respect my choice, Naruto." He looked to the sky once again, to gaze at the bright & beautiful moon… "I know you will look after her when I am gone." Ector closed his eyes as he breathed in deeply before exhaling calmly, "The moon sure is full tonight… please… promise me this: take care of her."

Naruto shed a lone tear, as it streamed down his face before he wiped away to give his response, "I will."

As Fou begin to wake up from his nap and pawed at the ninja in worry, Naruto looked on as the vampire watched the life quietly slip away from Ector…

"So passes Ector of the Forest Sauvage, knight of the realm and a good man."

* * *

-One Day Later; Hill Badon-

It was midday as Arturia sat upon Llamrei along with the inner circle below the hillside. The Saxons had been preparing for battle for quite some time now with several fortifications meant for repelling assaults, although there were a few cracks in their defense. They had set up what remained of their siege engines as a ramshackle defense with archers posted atop them, a desperate defense from a desperate enemy.

"I guess it was too much to ask for a surrender?" Kay said atop his own horse right beside her. They had sent a messenger envoy of Gawain and his siblings to the Saxons with terms for surrender without bloodshed, alas as Kay said… surrender was just wishing thinking.

"It would seem so, Sir Kay." The siblings returned by horseback with disappointed expressions.

"My king…" Gawain started, "…the leader of the Saxons, Horsa, brother of Hengest, has rejected the terms of surrender."

Gareth spoke up next through her helmet, "The man would rather die fighting as his brother did against another Pendragon. I'm sorry, my king, but we may be in for a long battle." She wished Mr. Naruto was here right now with the rest of the inner circle. He would've been able to come up with something to make things easier for them all.

Arturia nodded, "I had a feeling that it would come to this, unfortunately." She motioned for Llamrei to stride forth in front of everyone, just as she conjured Rhongomyniad in front of everyone, with many of the soldiers surprised by the sight of the lance gleamed in the sunlight.

Gareth was enraptured by the sight of the beautiful lance and wondered if maybe she too could become a master of the weapon. Having skills with multiple weapons made for an all more skilled knight that could defend the people, since Mr. Naruto used his dagger alongside the oddly shaped knives and 'throwing stars' if she remembered correctly.

Arturia channeled her Mana into the lance, not to undo the seals, but to rather call upon something else entirely… something more elemental… raw… powerful… ancient…

Raising the glowing lance high above her head with the tip pointed to the sky, Arturia shouted out, "Come ye spirits of the Wild Hunt! Your King bids you to service, chase down my enemies for the glory of the hunt!"

As Arturia called out, the wind began to pick up, and clouds formed overhead far faster than what could be considered normal. The soldiers found spectral beings begin to step past them, be they animals, Fae, knights in white armor, or other Phantasmal Species step up the king they pledged themselves towards. The king raised Rhongomyniad high into the air to signal their charge, "Come my knights! My army! We shall join the Wild Hunt in victory! Today, we push back our enemies so that Britain may never fear another enemy again!"

And so, the charge began… a charge that had signaled to the world that Britain was unconquerable.

* * *

-Two Days Later; Camelot-

Naruto had been reading over reports of what was going on back in mainland Europa. And they weren't good in the slightest. Apparently, the newly instated Emperor of Rome, Lucius Tiberius, was going around trying to put back the empire of old. So far, he had reclaimed parts of North Africa, Asia Minor, and Eastern Europa, however, he was having difficulty with the rest of the continent with resistance at every corner from the various neighboring lands.

Although it was Tiberius' attitude that was the most significant problem of all. He was an arrogant and selfish little shit stain of an emperor. He believed that because it was his right by birth to be the emperor, that all things belonged to him and him alone, giving him the right to take what he wanted, even trying to rebuild the old empire. This was creating friction with the offshoot Byzantine Empire that had broken away from the central empire some hundred years prior.

That was an issue that would have to be dealt with eventually, the sooner the better.

But… there was the recent event…

The door to his study opened up with one of the guardsmen in the entryway, "Mi lord, the King and army have returned." The guardsman informed Naruto.

"I'll meet him at the palace gates." Naruto got up from his desk as he made his way through the halls outside, to see Arturia riding into the capital as the people showered her with praise and adoration.

"Our King, Arthur Pendragon!"

"The Promised King!"

"Bring peace to Britain!"

"Hail the King of Knights!"

Naruto stood outside the palace gates with the guardsmen standing at attention. Naruto did his best to put on a positive face, yet… dread and sorrow lingered in his belly for what he had to tell Arturia. Her face still held that warm, comforting expression that just melted away all the problems in the world, like a goddess that held some sort of divine power. Naruto made his way over to Arturia as she dismounted Llamrei and handed her off to the stablemen before she turned to Naruto, "I'm glad to see you again, Naruto. How fares Camelot?"

Naruto forced a smile onto his face as he knew that what he had to say wouldn't be easy, "Camelot fares well, my king." His eyes darted around quickly as Arturia rose a brow at his unusual behavior.

"Naruto, is everything alright?"

"I think… I think it's best if you and Kay come with me… alone…" The forlorn tone he held wasn't a good sign. Arturia turned to Kay and gestured for her to come along with them as they went back into the palace.

The brother and sister followed Naruto through the halls, all the while he informed them of the recent events and news being obtained, received and passed around the lands, "While Camelot and Britain both have been doing well, over in Europa, the new emperor, Lucius Tiberius has been trying to reclaim part of the old imperial regions. And I have no doubt that he'll try reclaim Britain." He handed the report to Arturia who read the parchment describing the kind of man he was, as she frowned at the contents, already not pleased by this.

"I see then." She folded the parchment up as she and Kay continued on walking alongside Naruto, "If he makes any sort of demands that we bend the knee, then he will know of our response; that will be made loud and clear."

Kay chuckled, "I don't think anyone would be stupid enough to challenge us after what just happened. Little Tiberius should accept that the Roman Empire will never truly return." The Saxons defenses broke down in a matter of minutes with the Wild Hunt as their vanguard. The enemy had begun to scatter with many either going down fighting or surrendering to plead for their lives. Punishments were carried out, survivors sent away to scatter, etc. A typical day for them after a battle.

They continued onwards over towards the more isolated area of the palace, though this only confused them a bit, with Arturia bringing up the question, "Naruto, where are you taking us?"

He desperately wanted things to be different. He didn't want to tell either of them the news. Yet he had no choice.

"A few days ago…" He choked slightly with this information coming from his mouth, almost as if he was trying to swallow bile itself, "…Lord Leodegrance of Cornwall sent a message to you." Directing his attention to the parchment that Ector had handed to him.

Arturia rose a brow in mild surprise, unsure as to what it was that a nobleman of such stature would send a letter to her for. Unfolding it, she saw the handwriting just as Kay did who eventually donned a look of incredulousness at the contents, "Surely you jest?!"

Arturia's eyes became downtrodden at the marriage proposal. It was something she dreaded ever since she drew forth Caliburn. She knew that she would have no choice but to marry a woman to keep up appearances to hold the throne since no others were suited to save Britain. Naruto was one that the sword recognized as someone that could have become king, but he rejected it in favor of supporting her all the way through their campaign.

She had hoped that… there would be another option before her to reject such proposals… however, she was unsure if they would work or not.

Folding up the parchment, Arturia placed it inside her coat pocket before turning back to Naruto, although Kay was more vocal about this than they were, "You can reject the damned thing! You're the king! They can't force you to marry a complete stranger!" Kay held no illusions that the two in front of him didn't love one another dearly, as he held no qualms or worries if the two decided to tie the knot in secret one day. Hell, he and father both had been somewhat supportive of the prospect… speaking of father, "Where's Ector? Bollocks, where is the old man? Sleeping?"

Then the air shifted around slightly to accommodate the news that was about hit the king and her brother. Naruto looked down briefly before he mustered up the courage to tell them, "Ector… he came to me last night to tell me about the… proposal…" He spoke with mild revilement at the word as he quickly course corrected his tone away from disgust, "…he said it was something he needed to tell me. One last thing he said. That he asked me to do before he left… he wanted me to watch over you, Arturia. And I gave him my word that I would."

Arturia and Kay were both wide eyed with confusion at his words, "What do you mean, Naruto? Where did father go?" The girl asked before Naruto turned around as he gestured for them to follow him down below into the palace's lower levels into the cellars.

"I didn't want anyone to know yet… at least until the both of you got back home." He continued on through the lower halls, up until he came to a door that held several barrier sigils on the surface. Naruto held his hand up to dispel the barrier, "Ok… step inside and shut the door behind you…"

Naruto was the first to open the door as he stepped inside to reveal a body covered with a white sheet.

Arturia and Kay both were confused by Naruto's actions; however, upon seeing the covered body, a deep feeling of dread overcame them both. The two entered as Naruto uncovered the head to reveal Ector, almost sleeping peacefully without a care in the world…

The room held a deafening silence before Naruto spoke, "He had been hiding it for a while now… from everyone… he had lung cancer. We've been so busy these past months that none of us caught it. He came to me last night, and asked me…" Directing his attention to Arturia who stood motionless as her eyes were fixated on Ector's body, just as Kay, although while Kay's eyes were wide in shock and mouth slightly agape, Arturia had yet to show any emotion as her eyes seemed to become soft while holding back tears.

"…he asked me to watch over you, Arturia." Naruto went to Arturia's side to hold her hand who held it tight as can be before Kay shed a few tears as he wiped them away. Turning back to the door, Kay made his way outside before he spoke to them, "I-I uh…" his voice quivering in sadness, "…I need to… go out and… get a drink or two…" His tone spoke of a man who would not be satisfied by a simple drink or two.

Arturia had yet to look away from Ector's corpse as she kept her face calm with no response at all from this event that would've shaken anyone, just as Kay before her, but… she stood like a statue. Naruto held her hand before he tried to speak up, that is before Arturia began, "Please make the proper preparations for the coming funeral." Her tone held little emotion beyond slight sadness from what Naruto could make out, "Ensure that a procession will be carried out from here to the cemetery." She let go of Naruto's hand as she turned to leave the room, however… her last words were like a punch to his gut, "And send word to Lord Leodegrance… I accept… the proposal…"

Her words were like that of salt being poured on an open wound. Naruto couldn't help but feel sorrow at the path she had chosen… "I-I'll make sure everything's… in place… Arturia…"

"Thank you, Naruto…" Arturia's voice was soft, desperately trying to forestall a damn of emotions that would spill without warning.

As Arturia shut the door, Naruto looked back to Ector's eternally sleeping form, wondering just how things seemed to be going, "I hope that she can come back from all of this soon."

* * *

-Kay-

"Another, please." Kay lifted his hand up for another ale to come along. After seeing his father's body, along with being told how he died, he needed a drink.

Well, more than just a drink.

So far, he had finished his fourth and was going on his fifth. What kind of son was he to not have seen that his own father was slowly wasting away, ravaged by cancerous tumors?

Kay had gone over to the pub get rid of his sorrows, only to find that each drink just brought him further down into it. The bartender sent another bottle of ale his way with a worried look on his face, "Eh pal, you sure you're good for another? Don't want 'ta pass out and have all that ale come back upstream."

Waving the bartender off, Kay merely gestured for him to fork over the next bottle, "I'll be good. Just send me another." The bartender would've said something, that is until he saw who the man was along with recognizing the expression of a man who had suffered a great loss.

"If you say so, sir." The bartender handed him another bottle of ale, seeing that Kay had a great deal of tolerance to remain lucid, despite having down four bottles already.

Popping the cork off the bottle, Kay started to down the ale; tasteless as it was, he didn't care right now… all he wanted to do was numb the pain.

"Kay, what happened to you?"

Kay turned to see Bedivere no longer in his armor standing next to him with a worried look on his face, "Oh… well, I guessh I just came here to deal with shome… things…" he slurred to the King's adjutant.

Bedivere pulled up a stool next to Kay, having never seen this side of him before. Kay had always been the one that had the greatest sense of humor, bar the blonde Apostle of course. He'd either be caught on occasion bedding a woman, regaling people with the tales of their exploits, or any other number of well-mannered merriments. To see him in such a depressing state was unheard of before now, "What happened to you? You were in high spirits after we came home, and then you went with the king and Naruto back to the palace. Was something said between the three of you?" Bedivere had hoped nothing terrible was said between them.

Kay had guzzled down the ale with a single swig before he turned it upside to reveal the contents within no longer present. The death of his father hit him hard. Harder than he thought it would have, "Father… Ector… he… he passed away… while we were off on the field of battle…"

Tears began to build up underneath his eyes, as Kay brought his hands up to his face to hide his sadness, not able to bear the public showing. He held onto the neck of the bottle of ale with such strength that the green glass shattered, embedding an inch-long shard of glass in Kay's palm. Kay paid it no mind, numbed to the physical pain of his emotional turmoil.

Bedivere, on the other hand, was shocked by Kay's words. In his eyes, Sir Ector had been a great mentor figure to him ever since he met the veteran knight many years ago. The older man had always seemed to showcase that regardless of one's age, it was utterly meaningless in the face of battle. However, ever since he had suffered the injury to his knee did Ector begin to step back from battle, coupled with taking on the political duties when their king was unable to do so. Now though, it seemed that everything had caught up with Ector… "I… I-I'm unsure of what to say… only that, I am truly… and deeply sorry for your loss, Kay." Truly he was indeed. Even though Bedivere had known the man for a great deal of time, he was not of his family.

Bedivere placed a comforting hand on Kay's shoulder to try and help him through the ordeal. Not just that but drinking his sorrows away would do him no good, "Come, Kay. You don't need to be here in a pub getting drunk from ale. It isn't something that you father would want you to do. Plus, we need to get that shard of glass out of your hand."

Kay wanted to protest, but he knew his comrade-in-arms wasn't going to budge on this. Sitting the last bottle down, Kay reached into his pockets to pull out some coin and dropped most of it on the bar, "Keep the change…" Stumbling up from the stool, Kay's legs wobbled as he reached out for Bedivere to help him out of the place, "…shorry 'bout thish."

Bedivere shook his head, "No need to apologize." Taking Kay's free arm over his shoulder, he hefted the near drunken man up as they made their way back to the palace.

* * *

-Naruto-

After Arturia & Kay left Naruto alone to arrange for the funeral and acceptance of the marriage proposal, the apostle immediately wrote a response letter on the king's behalf that the proposal was accepted as he handed it off to a rider to have the message delivered. Well, that wasn't exactly correct. The letter which had inevitably been sent was his sixteenth attempt to write such a letter for each one prior had incensed him with emotion to the point of destroying the letter or rewriting it from the beginning.

As for Ector's funeral, one week from now, a procession would be made from the palace to the cemetery where the remains of Uther and his forefathers were lain to rest. Despite not being a member of the Pendragon family, Ector had raised and taught Arturia as his own flesh & blood, thus Naruto felt it best that he be treated as if he were royalty of Britain. He sent a few Shadow Clones to help the carpenters and masons to construct what would be Ector's final resting place to ensure it would be fit for a wise knight such as he.

Now, Naruto was trying to find Arturia in the large castle; she wasn't in her room, quietly mourning the passing of her foster father, nor was she in the meeting room to go over recent events with the inner circle, but neither did she seek him out to inquire what all else had transpired while he operated as regent during her short absence.

"Where the hell is, she…?" The one location he had yet to check over was their private practice area. It was built to ensure that Naruto could train and teach Arturia in the ways of eastern swordplay, along with his own fighting strategies, tactics, etc.

As he walked through the hallway towards his destination, he could hear the swings of a sword, coupled with the sounds of wood splintering into many pieces. Naruto opened the door to see Arturia, having discarded her armor, only wearing her royal blues with a practice sword in hand, chopping down dummies one after another. Naruto could tell that nearly all of them had been effectively turned into piles of wood meant for the fireplace.

She had taken her grief out on these poor things instead.

Seeing that Arturia was on the last dummy, she brought the practice sword down to shatter it just as those before, only this time she didn't stop. She continued to swing downwards to strike the floor repeatedly until the sword itself shattered and Naruto quickly stepped in to prevent Arturia from getting injured, "Arturia! Stop this, you'll hurt yourself after doing that!"

Quickly gripping Arturia's wrists, Naruto forced her to let go of the broken sword before he spun her around to grab her by the shoulders to see that she had been mourning in her own way. The signs of dried tears stained her cheeks, with puffy red eyes and unshed tears threatening to drip downwards. Arturia looked to Naruto in sadness, yet also confusion.

He knew well enough what she was thinking: Why had he been taken from her?

Naruto was unable to answer, as Arturia collapsed to her knees and began to quietly sob. Naruto bent down on his own knees to hold her close, just as she clamped her arms around him, tight as can be to hold onto her safety net. The apostle began to stroke her hair slowly to provide her some comfort in the recent death in the family, "Arturia… I—"

"Why… why him…?"

She mumbled loudly into his chest before he answered, or rather failed to answer, "I don't know, Arturia… and… I'm so sorry that I don't know… I guess I'm a terrible retainer to you, if I could've found out his sickness sooner." In truth he couldn't. The diseases that plagued people were very difficult to spot in this era, unlike back home where they were identified quickly with trained medics alongside advanced technology, all they had were herbalists and magi if one could find them, and convince them to help heal them of their ailment.

Naruto wasn't that skilled in healing magecraft, with all he could do was merely stop bleeding and accelerate the body's natural regeneration.

"No… no it's n-not…" Arturia's voice began to choke from holding in her emotions the day, "…not your fault…" At that point, Arturia let her sadness loose as Naruto held her closely.

* * *

After nearly an hour of letting her emotions run free, Naruto quietly carried Arturia through the silent castle to her room, being sure to remain out of sight, to lay her down. With the sun no longer overhead, Naruto felt it best to have Arturia retire to her chambers for the evening. The combination of having just returned from their last battle, Ector's death and the marriage proposal in such a short time had left her mentally drained. Naruto needed to get her to rest and clear her mind for the coming days.

Opening the door, Naruto carried Arturia bridal style before he set her down on the bed and closing the door to block unwanted eyes & ears, "You need your rest, Arturia." Turning back to her closet, Naruto went inside to grab one of her nightgowns, "I've sent a messenger to Cornwall on the matter of the marriage…" He said quietly, not a shade of enthusiasm what-so-ever.

Naruto hated this, with every fiber of his being. And Arturia could not blame him. But he would do what he had always done...Naruto would endure it.

"As for your dad's grave…" Naruto continued on as he brought out a blue nightgown for Arturia when she began to remove her clothing, "…I've already made the arrangements for carpenters and masons to begin its construction. A funeral procession will begin from the palace, leading into the cemetery. Only us and the rest of the inner circle will be in attendance. I've asked the Chief of the City Guard to ensure privacy is kept, along with keeping order during the funeral." Arturia had discarded her royal raiment for the nightgown as Naruto finished up.

Arturia nodded as she donned the nightgown, "Thank you, Naruto. I'm…" She swallowed a bit before she spoke up, "…I'm very thankful that you were able to arrange everything in Merlin and Ector's absence…" Naruto could read between the lines, she was still within partial denial judging by the way she mentioned Ector, "…but Ector is my father…" Arturia's tone sounded confused more than anything, "…why did you refer to him as my dad?"

Naruto sighed lightly before he made his way over to the bedside that Arturia now sat upon, "It's an odd quirk of my mother tongue that doesn't translate well into English, but I can try to explain it as best as I can. The difference between fathers and dads is that, well…" Scratching the back of his head, Naruto tried to explain things as simple as can be, "…a father is one who is the one that helps bring you into the world, but beyond that, they don't do much. A dad is the one who raises, teaches, and makes their kids' life good. They help set them up for their lives in the end, and love them to no end, always worrying whether or not they're safe."

While Naruto's upbringing wasn't like Arturia's, he had come to see Jiraiya as his dad, but even then, with his own biological father, he couldn't truly call him father, for he was also dad. It was when he first met him during Kurama's rage against Pain, did he see that his father was a dad from the get-go.

Arturia closed her eyes as the last few tears dripped down her cheeks, "I see… yes. Ector was more of a dad to me than just a father." She gave a small smile before looking back to Naruto, "Thank you. I was always fond of the days when Ector took me out to train and teach me." There was more she wanted to say but felt it best to get some rest.

Naruto was about to get up from his spot, but Arturia held his arm back. Even if she didn't say it verbally, her eyes told him that she wanted him to sleep with her tonight. Taking the queue to disrobe, Naruto did as he was bid and crawled into bed with Arturia, they held onto one another in comfort, drifting into heavenly dreams, while silently dreading the coming days and emotional rollercoaster that would take its toll on them.

* * *

-One Week Later-

Dawn had come to Camelot, and news of the upcoming wedding was spreading like wildfire across the lands. No doubt due to Leodegrance trying to establish that his daughter would be the queen soon. Camelot has been bustling with activity in celebration from the announcement, although behind closed doors of the palace, it was a different matter entirely. Primarily for the king and her secret lover.

Neither were happy with this predicament, nor could they truly go against it.

Yet right at this very moment, they did not wish to wake from the beautiful dream they were having in Arturia's room.

Naruto had awakened after Arturia as usual, although there was something off this time…

"Naruto, you're up late again!"

Arturia's cheery voice came over his ears. Wait a minute, cheery? In the last few days since the death of Ector, Arturia had been immersed in a funk that lay somewhere between depressed and resolute, so this sudden turn of personality didn't make sense to the male blonde at all. Rubbing his eyes clean of sand, Naruto got up to turn towards his lover and see why she wasn't as downtrodden as the days before, "You sound rather cheery this morning, Arturia." He turned to get his clothes as Arturia emerged from her closet in a dress that… he never expected her to wear, even when compared to the one worn on their first date several months ago.

What she now wore was far removed from both her usual blue battle dress and the long one-piece dresses she had worn on occasion, giving Naruto pause to take in what was now before him. Arturia wore a white Tulle dress to just above her knees with a single white petticoat used to pad out the space between her thighs and the dress, flaring it out like the blossom of a flower. Moreover, it had no sleeves to speak of leaving her arms and shoulders bare to the elements. Black filigree marked the separation points between the six 'petals' of the dress which was set off by a sizeable black bow worn at the neck, spilling over her modest bust.

The usual braided golden bun that kept her hair in place had been traded for a short ponytail and black bow sitting behind her head. Finally, the Lilly-like ensemble was set off by a pair of white silk gloves and black leggings tucked into low heeled shoes.

Overall, a dress that showed her feminine side even more so than before. Naruto was rendered speechless at the choice, "Uhm… wow… you…"

Arturia quickly made her way over to the front of Naruto in order to get up on the tips of her toes, wrapping her arms around his neck to bring him down to her level, "It's not something that I would have worn normally, but I feel that today would be a special occasion." She planted a fleeting kiss on his lips before striding over to the nearby chest to pick up basket very much like the one he had brought with them on their first date.

"Arturia?" Naruto asked in confusion; unsure of what it was that she had planned for them, "Did you plan out a date for us?" This wasn't something he expected of her, especially after what happened last week. It seemed, for lack of a better term, off.

Arturia closed her eyes as she nodded her head, "Yes…" Her voice was tinged with melancholy, despite how upbeat she appeared, "…I know that now may be our last chance to enjoy ourselves, like a normal couple in love…" Naruto approached her to wipe away the yet unshed tears that threatened to stream down her cheek, "…and after last week—" She looked up to him before she closed her eyes to try and tell him that she was happy for what they were about to do, "—I want to do something enjoyable for the both of us."

So, she wanted to get away from everything again to try and forget the pain?

Naruto didn't exactly agree with this, but right now, Arturia more than likely wouldn't be in the best of states to continue leading Camelot. She needed to clear her head to go forward with her decisions, "Alright, I understand." Naruto looked down to the basket that was covered with a small sheet, "What did you have in mind?"

"There's a festival going on in the city of Bath…" Patting the basket she held, Arturia continued on, "…as for lunch, well… lately I've been… practicing on making food as you do…" She blushed in embarrassment as Naruto's eyes widened slightly. He had always been her personal chef; preparing and making food for her since everything else they had around the country flat out sucked.

She was also a glutton after all, so it couldn't be helped for her to be a little selfish with food. However, that did not detract from the fact that Arturia had _**NO **_culinary skill to speak of with Gawain being the only person on the continent being able to stomach her food with no complaints. Maybe it was a family thing? Scrap that, Naruto had seen the grimaces of forced acceptance the last time he had seen Gareth and Geheris try to eat something Arturia had made.

Nevertheless, the fact that Arturia had been trying to make proper food like he did surprised him quite a bit, "You've been practicing? On your own?"

"I-I have…" Arturia nodded, "I wanted to surprise you with what I made." Taking Naruto's hand, Arturia gestured for Naruto to take them out, "Well, shall we be on our way?" Taking hold of his arm, Arturia clung to Naruto who briefly wondered if perhaps she had this date planned beforehand, which was surprising that she wanted this before Ector's passing.

Naruto couldn't say no, but Arturia's eagerness didn't appear to allow her to see that she was getting ahead of things, "Well, first off, we need to swing by my room so I can get into some clothes proper for the date. I mean…" Naruto gestured to himself, still wearing nightclothes, "I doubt the people of Bath would take kindly to me turning up without any clothes, eh?" Chuckling a bit, Naruto gave Arturia a toothy smile before her eyes widened a bit before blushing in embarrassment.

"Oh, yes. You're right, my apologies. It's just that—"

"You were getting ahead of yourself, and wanted to get the day all to ourselves, right?"

"Y-Yes! I… I did." Arturia dipped her head down slightly. She did still rush into certain things without thinking them through.

Patting her on the head, Naruto lifted her chin up to give her a quick kiss, right as he used the Flying Raijin to teleport them to his room to get ready for the day. Arturia felt a tingle flow through her lips that reverberated through her body that sent a chill up her spine, although it wasn't negative as one would assume. It was as if lightning coursed through her body to prepare her for the exciting day to come.

"I'll just be a minute." Naruto went over to his closet to gather some clothes while Arturia took the time to actually steal a quick glance around his room. It was odd that despite having been living in the palace for a great deal of time, she never once came to Naruto's bedchamber to actually look at its contents, instead, he joined her in her room on most nights. She initially mistook him to be somewhat disorganized; a bit of a slob with how laid back and easy going he was most of the time when they weren't dealing with kingdom affairs or jumping into battle.

Instead, everything was spick and span. Clean as can be. Grimoires, books, scrolls and parchments were all organized accordingly to whatever system Naruto had set up in his bookcase. His armor was on a mannequin set up in the corner with cleaning tools set aside on the nearby chest, along with some arcane writing next to it. On the other hand, an easel was set up off to the side of the room, with tools required for artistic pursuits. Arturia was unaware of this side hobby of his, "Naruto, I had no idea that you were an artist."

"I'd hardly call myself an artist," Naruto's voice came from inside his closet, "It's just a side project that I've had for a while, but I never got the chance to just sit down and paint something." Stepping out of his closet, Naruto was dressed in similar attire from their first date, along with his hair and eyes having changed color, "I've had some inspiration, but a lot of things got in the way. But now that things are starting to settle down, I've been wondering what the first painting I make should be."

Forming two Shadow Clones with Transformation, Naruto created copies of himself and Arturia just as before, "Alright, you two know what to do." The clones nodded, just as the original stepped up next to Arturia to take her hand, teleporting outside the capital leaving the clones to themselves.

That is until Merlin opened the door too quickly for the couple to slip away. "I just returned to hear all of the very interesting and quite poor news, and now I see that the king is shirking her duties for the day…" the flower magus stated with a somewhat stern look, already seeing two of Naruto's duplicates, with one transformed into the king.

"Eh he he…" The non-disguised one chuckled briefly before the other tried to explain, "You see—"

Merlin quickly raised a hand giving a smile, "You need not explain things to me, it's quite obvious that the king is in need of a clear head and a joyous day to recover from what she has lost and agreed to." Merlin knew well enough just how a woman can be in such a state of mind… all those gorgeous young maidens certainly had a set of lungs like a banshee!

* * *

-Sometime Later; Arturia & Naruto-

**(****OST Choice: Bleach OST, Irish Dance)**

"Wow! The festivities are astounding!" Arturia exclaimed in childlike excitement.

The pair of secret lovers teleported beyond the capital walls where Naruto carried Arturia bridal style as the ninja dashed along old Roman roads to the city of Bath where they now were walking hand in hand through the city that was bustling with activity.

Bath was a city that was so named due to the many Roman Baths that were built there during the original Roman occupation of Britain centuries ago, taking advantage of both rivers and local hot springs to create a place of pure relaxation for the conquering sons of Romulus. After the Legions had pulled back, the name had stuck along with many of the baths themselves. Say what you will about their policies, Romans were masters at building concrete structures that lasted.

Arturia turned her eyes to every amusement sprawled across the city square and the main thoroughfare: music, dancing, food eating contests, puppet shows, a line of men in mock armor for jousting and melee tournaments.

Suffice to say she acted like a girl her age, with Naruto thinking her too cute to not admit it.

"You really are acting like a girl today." Naruto said amused.

Arturia looked back to Naruto, looking slightly miffed at his words, "Oh, you don't think I act like a girl?"

Naruto quickly placated her as he waved his hands to try and stave off a little future 'punishment', "N-Not at all! It's just that—"

"Got you!" Arturia interrupted with a smile that beamed like the sun. The little thing had teased him. Naruto knew very well that Arturia had already skipped the five stages of grief already and was wanting to ignore everything else. Such a policy may be good in the short term, but in the long run he was unsure if it would be good for her, but seeing her now…

Naruto shook his head as he gestured around them, "Well anyways, what do you want to do first? We can—"

"Let's dance with the music, Naruto!" Arturia quickly took his hands as she began moving with the music's rhythm. it was a fast beat, played mainly on drums and rudimentary stringed instruments like a Jew's harp or Vielle, some clay flutes and the odd lyre, working together to play an upbeat tune that was Gaelic in tone.

Although Naruto began to squirm a bit at how she was twirling him around the square with several people looking on in amusement, "But I don't know how to dance!"

"Neither do I…" Arturia replied, "…but who cares!" Glee held in her voice at the sensation of dancing with the flustered Naruto made her happy all the same. Music wrapped around them in an intoxicating miasma of euphoric bliss and absentminded humor. Colors and sounds blended into one for an ephemeral and transient experience that while others may watch, only the lovers could see. They lacked technique, poise or anything else a dedicated dancer would call structured, but it did not matter, for the two made up for it in passion; planting seeds of creativity that would grow both day and night until they bore an apple bright.

As the two continued to dance with the music, the others that had been around them began to slowly back away as Arturia dragged Naruto around the square. The onlookers had been amused as some cheered and laughed in merriment, though the rhythmic clapping soon synced with the dancing lovers as they were immersed in their spinning world surrounded by the cowed.

As they continued on, Naruto could sense that the music was coming to an end, he decided to add a little flair to their dancing, quickly taking their momentum, Naruto took Arturia by the waist as he held one of her hands to lower her down into a deep corte of sorts that caught Arturia off guard. Nevertheless, the display garnered applause from the crowd as they cheered on the couple for their odd dance. Naruto brought Arturia up as he waved to the people around them with Arturia following suit, "Well, how was that for a surprise dance?"

Arturia looked up to give Naruto a slight stink eye, "I thought you said you didn't know how to dance."

The ninja shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah I don't, but I did see how some people would end their dances like that." Spending time in Rome along with some other large cities where nobles resided in where they held banquets and parties for whatever reason, as they danced to their heart's content.

Well, she couldn't really say she didn't like it, but would've preferred knowing ahead of time. Arturia quickly pulled him aside, "Well, let's see what else we can do here! I heard they had an amphitheater in the city, let's go see what they have on play for everyone." Arturia had always wanted to see a play…

* * *

-Some Time Later-

"NO! THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENED!"

"This may have been a mistake…"

After the two found the amphitheater some three hours ago, the couple attended the play of _'Jason and the Argonauts'_. An astounding tale that regaled the adventures of the famous Greek 'Hero' Jason with his fellow adventurers such as the legendary Hercules, or Herakles as per the original name from Greece, who accomplished the Twelve Labors and was welcomed among the Gods, along with the swift Atalanta, a renowned Huntress of Artemis who landed the decisive blow to the Calydonian Boar on her own.

Then there was the 'treacherous witch' of Colchis, Medea, who murdered her own brother to join up with the crew who became obsessed with the captain of the Argo, as they escaped with the Golden Fleece.

It would've been considered a good play, however, there were two things that said otherwise:

1) The acting was rather terrible in Arturia's eyes and they did little to convince her this was any good.

2) Naruto had read through the tomes, texts and books that he and Merlin found with the history of the Age of Gods. The events being reenacted and being compared to what he read, well… suffice to say…

"You've gotta be kidding me, in reality, Jason was a massive thief, who didn't have any skills other than some charisma. Medea was forced to love the guy because of a damned god's manipulation, and forced to kill her brother, and Jason slept with so many women and even raped her." Naruto crossed his arms as he sat back down in dissatisfaction, "This whole thing is just terrible…" He said as he turned to an equally dissatisfied Arturia, "…they have no idea about what really happened. What a way to butcher history."

Arturia hummed in agreement, "Not only that, but their acting is terrible. I am glad though that we didn't have to pay our way in, or I would be demanding our coin back." She originally expected this to be done professional actors who knew what they were doing… but clearly this was not the case… Arturia sighed as she got up from her seat before she took Naruto by the arm to lead them out of this disaster of a play, "Let's see what we can get into to compensate for this loss of several hours."

* * *

-Nighttime-

And what a day they had to themselves. Arturia had entered an eating contest, although she demanded that Naruto head into the kitchen and cook her food she enjoyed… which as expected, caused some arguments between him and the actual cooks -if they could even be called that- leading to a fed up Naruto who just used his Mystic Eyes to enchant the cooks into letting him take the reins. Naruto had also played an underhanded tactic by feeding the other competitors the food that Arturia had prepared; who would have thought that a human's face could turn such a shade of purple? It was certainly worth the minute of cheek pinching that Arturia had given him after telling her that he had 'lost' their food.

By the end of things, Arturia had won the grand prize being a few items of her choice, a large sum of coin and a private bath in the city. She decided on getting a stuffed lion-bear doll while she gave the coin towards an orphanage that needed money to stay afloat. Arturia would make it a priority to ensure that such places would have sufficient currency to provide the children of Britain a proper home that could care and love them.

Now, she and Naruto were in one of the large bath houses built by the Romans that could've held a few dozen people within it, however they had it all to themselves. Naruto had already stepped into the hot spring, he relaxed into the water, with his back up against the wall, Naruto slid down onto the steps to sit, relax and enjoy the hot bath, "This is nice…"

He heard Arturia's footsteps up behind him, "I think I'll join you in here." Gone was the prude that had got hot under the collar at Jiraiya's smut, Naruto was now a romantic at heart, though there were times when his innocent nature would rise up. And staying in a hot bath with his lover where someone could accidentally walk in on them was one of those times. Naruto blushed a bit as Arturia lowered herself next to him as she leaned up on his shoulder, "It's so nice in here."

He could not deny that at all. Naruto slowly pulled Arturia closer towards him by the waist as the setting sun shone down into the open roof of the bath house, along with many torches alit along the perimeter creating light that illuminated the interior for them to see everything around. Vampiric eyes took the time to look at Arturia, truly look at her. The way the steam traced her lithe form with lethargic tendrils of snowy vapor, how beads of sweat trailed down her back, each one capturing the setting sun within its liquid prison and her shoulder length hair out of its ponytail to tickle his chest like the finest feathers of a bird of prey.

Naruto put his own head atop Arturia's, he wanted to take in what was likely going to be their last true night together as a couple without worry. However, before he knew it, Arturia lifted her head up while pivoting her body around to sit on his lap, her perfectly rounded derriere settling upon his growing excitement, "Naruto…" Arturia began, "…when the wedding comes, I doubt we will have much time together again…" She looked off to the side where the entryway was located at before turning her attention back to Naruto, "…therefore, for this night… I'd like for us to make love once again…"

The ninja understood well enough in the truth of her words, "Regardless of that, I will never stop loving you, even if we can't enjoy it so freely anymore, I will make this count." Naruto brought his lips towards Arturia's own as they meshed perfectly with their tongues dancing within for dominance, but neither caring for this night…

* * *

-Two Weeks Later; Camelot-

With a fortnight having passed by since Bath, Naruto & Arturia both did their best to make it through the weeks without drawing attention to one another. Today would be the day of Ector's funeral… however, it was not the only occasion that would be occurring today.

Naruto was preparing himself for the funeral procession, until Merlin entered through his bedroom door, "Ah, good to see you're still here." The flower magus quickly shut the door, he quickly turned his gaze around the room for a bit before directing his attention back to Naruto, "Sorry about that…" Merlin apologized to a visibly confused ninja, "…I did a little faux pas that I clearly wasn't supposed to, and now Fou wants to kick me in the face."

"…"

"…"

"All I can say is, good luck with that." Naruto said as he just raised a brow in curiosity at how he planned to avoid the little beast.

Merlin just gave him a face fault, "Oh, don't be like that." Pushing himself away from the door, Merlin approached the window that looked out towards the cemetery, "Well, anyway, I must say… I never expected you to be so calm about what's going to occur soon." Indeed, it was. Merlin fully expected Naruto to be trying to find Arturia a way out of the marriage proposal, and yet… he was not… perhaps Arturia had said something to him? Or Ector?

Naruto breathed in deeply before exhaling a long breath, "Oh, I hate it alright, even last night I found myself chewing through steel to alleviate my anxiety, but there's no other way. Arturia has to do this. If she doesn't…" The apostle left the sentence hanging in the air, letting Merlin know that he would not be fighting against this, "…well, anyways, today's the day of the funeral, so I've made sure to keep the ceremony private for just the inner circle." Naruto was finishing up on his appearance as he donned the hood to help conceal his vampiric features from passersby.

Merlin placed a finger under his chin in thought at how Naruto just accepted things as he did, "I see. Well then…" Turning towards his young, yet old apprentice, though had not yet become a graduated Magus of his, Merlin was about to say something until he saw something out of the corner of his eye from the window, "Oh… well this should prove to be quite the event."

Naruto was confused by his words, until he moved towards the window to see an envoy of knights surrounding a carriage entering the inner part of the city, "Wait that's…" He applied Reinforcement to his eyes to zoom in on the sigil that the knights were wearing upon their armor: Cameliard.

It appeared that Lord Leodegrance and Guinevere decided to arrive in Camelot early to support their future _'son-in-law & husband'_ on such a day of sadness.

"I need to get down there to help out with the situation." Naruto quickly left the room as he ran down the hallways to the entrance of the palace.

Although, this had an effect of leaving Merlin on his own… with Cath Palug turning the corner to see him in Naruto's room… the flower magus was currently hiding from the little beast, and it appeared fate decided to be entertained for a bit.

"N-Now, Cath Palug, I know you don't want to—"

"DIE, MERLIN! DIIIE!"

"Not my hair you bestial Cath-tasrophy!"

Well, suffice to say, the sight of a little rabbit-squirrel thing assaulting the greatest mage in all the lands was either to entertaining, or frightening depending on one's point of view. A pair of palace guards were entering the hallway were now hearing said struggle, decided it was best to back up and continue their guard rotation elsewhere…

* * *

-Outside; the Palace Entrance-

Arturia as well as the rest of the inner circle had arrived outside the main keep to begin making their way to the cemetery with the funeral procession, that is until a squad of guards came along to inform her that Lord Leodegrance had arrived in Camelot along with is daughter Lady Guinevere… her soon-to-be _'wife'_.

The fully-grown Periwinkle nudged her right side, he looked up to her in what appeared to be confusion, if it could be described as such, the lion unsure as to why his 'mother' was feeling a sense of being uncomfortable with what was coming. Arturia stroked the lion's mane to reassure him that it was nothing for him to appear worried about it, "Don't worry for me, Periwinkle. Everything will be just fine." She gave him a small smile to help comfort the lion as he nuzzled her leg affectionately.

Naruto had arrived rushing in with his hood up over his head, as he skidded to a halt to her left side, "I really wish I knew they were coming so soon."

Arturia turned to glance at him, "It's alright, Naruto. We shall be as cordial as we can be right now before the funeral."

As the entourage stopped before them, one of the knights opened up the carriage for his lord as the occupants stepped outside for those present to see Leodegrance and Guinevere. Tall and well built, Leodegrance of Cameliard looked like what one would most associate with a noble of Britain with striking hawk-like eyes set with a prominent Roman Nose and a well-groomed black beard. Leodegrance' short black hair was beginning to thin towards the apex of his head, but that added to his charm in some way. For clothes, he was adorned in a black leather jerkin and red pants tucked into soft-looking boots. Over the jerkin rested a shoulder cape bearing the Sigil of Cameliard, a golden lion on a black plain, appropriate for today's meeting be it by happenstance or design.

However, he was almost poultry when compared with his daughter in terms of appearance.

She was a beautiful young woman that looked to be in her early twenties with waves of long flowing chestnut brown hair that shimmered glossily in the light of the chamber, two unusually long bangs framed either side of her face and trailed down to her waist. Teal eyes dominated a soft, kind-looking face with small pink lips and a thin nose, nary a single blemish adorned her flawless white skin save for a beauty mark upon her right cheek. Slightly taller than Arturia, Quinevere's body took on a much more voluptuous figure with larger breasts and a clearly defined hourglass figure, all of it hidden behind a tasteful aquamarine and white gown reminiscent of waterlilies. Weaved into the prow of her hair was a simple circlet formed of one golden band and an emerald set into its center.

Both made their way as any of British nobility would with grace and stature befitting such as them.

Leodegrance and Guinevere both bowed their heads to Arturia as the lord was the first to speak, "It is good to see you, your majesty, our good King Arthur." Leodegrance lifted his head with a solemn look on his face, "We heard what had occurred to Sir Ector, and we rushed to the capital to give our condolences. I apologize if we had intruded upon you, sire." And the man did seem genuine in his words, as a solemn look graced his features as Guinevere did the same.

Arturia raised a hand to wave it off, "It is alright, Lord Leodegrance, Lady Guinevere. I appreciate your gesture of kindness…" She struggled to smile but found that she couldn't as she glanced to Naruto who had dipped his head down enough to obscure his face from their visitors. No doubt Naruto was not fond to them at all; however, he held his tongue and decided to simply stay quiet as he kept his distance all the while remaining by her side, "…however, the funeral procession is about to begin."

Guinevere took a step forward before she spoke with a voice that nearly any man would be soothed by, "If I may, your majesty, perhaps father and I may accompany you alongside your knights and…" She briefly glanced to Naruto with the first assumption in mind, "…your court magus, to Sir Ector's resting place. To help ease your pain and show the people that we are betrothed to one another before the wedding takes place." Guinevere spoke as one was well versed in speaking from political standpoints, seeing that it would help the people know that they would be at ease with the future queen at the king's side in 'his' time of loss.

Naruto wanted to speak out and say that he'd stay by Arturia's side in the procession and funeral, though it would only make things head south, so he kept quiet, all the while he balled his fist up inconspicuously as Guinevere spoke. No one noticed, save for Bedivere and Lancelot who seemed concerned about their friend, the two knights glanced to one another in wonder why Naruto was not in high spirits, or rather Bedivere himself was unsure.

Lancelot knew though. The Knight of the Lake knew how deeply Naruto loved Arturia, and to be forced to hide their love from the public with both unable to truly stay with one another in bed with political marriage getting in the way, it struck the heart. If there was another way…

Arturia nodded at Guinevere's logic, "Perhaps… that would be for the best." As for their wedding… "And if you and your father are willing to stay in the palace come the wedding day." To her, this was a logical decision to make as the king.

Everyone was moderately surprised by the king's words, although Leodegrance and Guinevere were quick to recover as the man gave her a bright smile, "I think that is a splendid offer, your majesty!"

Naruto was about to say something, that was until Merlin, appearing behind the ninja, placing a hand on his shoulder. Guess the flower magus was able to get away from Fou for a bit for this, "We have many rooms befitting of your status, milord, milady. I will ensure that everything will be taken care of." Both subjects had turned towards Merlin in confusion, not knowing who he was after Guinevere assumed the hooded Naruto was the court mage, "Ah, where are my manners? I am Merlin, the Mage of Flowers and Court Mage to our great King Arthur himself! My student here…" Patting Naruto on the shoulder as Fou, who had caught up with Merlin, climbed atop the opposite shoulder of the vampire, "…is my replacement for the day I can no longer serve our king. Please treat him well with respect; he has indeed earned it with all of which he has contributed to building Camelot and serving our king."

It seemed that Merlin was trying to help make things amicable between them, in the hopes to avoid any animosity that would spring up. Arturia nodded along with all of Merlin's words, "Indeed. Had he have not joined up with us, many lives would've been lost. Not just that, but Camelot itself would not exist as the shining utopia it is today without his contribution. I owe many thanks to my Knight of Sky Silver."

Guinevere's eyes were widened marginally in surprise, yet Naruto could sense a bit of admiration with her at how well they spoke of him, "I had no idea that one so accomplished as yourself was in the company of great knights that follows the perfect king…" Those words seemed to make Arturia's finger twitch a bit at how she was resolving herself to try and act as such, "…you are one whom many should respect, as an arcane knight."

Leodegrance stepped forward with an outstretched hand, "I am glad to see that a man such as yourself serves the king. I hope that once my daughter marries into the Pendragon family, that you will continue to serve." A knight of such renown status was one that a king could trust. A mage that served the king was one who gave guidance held knowledge that gave great aid. But an arcane warrior was a rare thing indeed; almost unheard of in this day and age. If someone of such a class served the king, then it would be in one's best interests to help them stay on their good side.

Naruto stared at the outstretched hand for a bit, he felt that he had no real choice but to take it. Grasping the lord's hand, Naruto felt the firm handshake of Leodegrance in his genuine gesture. The man bore no ill towards him at all, "I fully intend to serve the king, and _queen…_" He struggled to say without showing any discomfort in his voice, to which he was lucky that no one took notice of, save for perhaps Arturia herself, "…for so long as they endure, so shall I. For the sake of the people and the future that we build for the future generations of Britain." There wasn't a lie in his words. He would continue to serve Arturia for as long as she lived; never would he abandon her.

"It makes me glad to hear such words, with your devotion." Leodegrance said.

That is until he turned to Arturia whom had stepped forward as she spoke, "While this has been a reprieve of pain, but now the funeral procession must go on, Lord Leodegrance, Lady Guinevere." And on cue, a group of knights with Ector's eternally sleeping form placed within a casket came out from the palace. The wagon was decorated with multiple flowers, with casket decorated with a flag of Ector's house and sigil: A seven-pointed star of azure atop a silver sun, framed upon a plane of red and silver stripes.

Arturia gestured for the guests to join her and Sir Kay at the forefront, as many a knight came from behind as they joined from behind as they began their march from the palace to the cemetery. The people of Camelot all held flowers as they threw them into the air where they landed atop Ector's casket. The city guards helped maintain order for the entire event, as they stood vigil to watch for any wrongdoers that may take advantage of the day, though there was, but not a single one that attempted to do so. They eventually arrived in the cemetery where they came to Ector's gravesite where a statue made in his image stood over it; it made the man appear younger than he once was, filled with vigor and strength… a man that had never known defeat or loss, a symbol of strength that no matter how a knight aged, he would never fall but on his own time.

As they all gathered around the gravesite, where Ector's casket was lowered into his final resting place, Arturia stepped forward to deliver a speech to say farewell for her dad, "Thank you, all of you for attending this event." Arturia began. Although, Naruto had noted that she held no pain within her voice so to speak, making him wonder what she would say about the man that raised and taught her.

"Sir Ector was a man of great respect and admiration. And so, I feel it fit for everyone to know all of what he had done. From the time of his youth, he was an exemplary man becoming a master of the spear, the bow and the sword. All things befitting a perfect knight." She began, "Ector served my father, Uther for a great many years when he first became a knight unto his service, as his loyalty never waned, even after my father's death. He took me in and raised me alongside Sir Kay, the man that I am proud to call my brother…" Naruto glanced over to Kay whom had a few tears shed as he wiped them away as Arturia continued with a steely resolve, "…he rose to become a general as he raised a prosperous homestead where he held off raids from the invaders, be they Saxons or Picts, and it became the staging ground where our allied forces came together to free Britain to live prosperously. Now we take it as an example where the people know full bellies and warm summers, where the children could play amongst one another without fear."

Arturia took a breath in before she continued on, "When the usurper, Vortigern rose up and assassinated my father, Ector remained steadfast in standing against him in the early days. His unwavering conviction that Britain would thrive once again out of the darkness, became a driving force that I myself came to uphold, and will continue doing so. Let us never forget, Sir Ector, General of Camelot. For he is a shining beacon in dark times." Arturia stepped back as she stood next to Guinevere and Kay.

Naruto wanted to maneuver over towards her, though it was no longer an option as he saw Guinevere attempt to clumsily hold Arturia's hand. It took a bit of time, but despite the situation, 'Arthur', relented as the future queen held the king's hand. All Naruto could do now, was bare the pain…

Tristan though felt something off with the way the king spoke, being instead… devoid of emotions with her speech and manner of her body language. Gareth was right next to him, who seemed to notice it as well as he spoke to her with barely enough volume for her to hear, yet make out, "Why does the king not show emotions for such a thing?"

All Gareth could do as she saw Naruto's hands clenching and unclenching into fists, "I'm… not sure… maybe Mr. Naruto knows?" After all, Mr. Naruto had all the answers… didn't he…?

Tristan did not respond, so wrapped up in his quandary was he that he opened his golden-brown eyes, a rarity amongst the inner circle. It was apparent that Naruto was close to the King, and this turn of events had affected him, But King Arthur seemed oblivious to it. _'Does the king not know how his people feel?' _he wondered to himself.

* * *

After the funeral had come to an end with a somber melancholy everyone returned to their quarters, whereas Naruto made a beeline for Arturia, his mind awhirl with questions about the way she had delivered her speech. As he opened the door, he saw she had discarded the royal fatigues and armor leaving her to gaze out the window. Arturia turned to Naruto as he shut the door; pulling his hood off, the man approached Arturia with one question in mind, "Arturia, why did you speak about Ector like that?"

Arturia did naught but raise a brow at Naruto's words, "What do you mean, Naruto? I spoke of his achievements and the legacy he left behind, was that not what I should have said?" It may not have been as it seemed, but she could almost detect a tone of accusation in his words; as if he believed she dishonored her dad.

Naruto, however, shook his head, "No, that's not it. What I meant was your tone." He stood in front of Arturia while she simply stared at him with an odd look, "You didn't sound like you were hurt in any way by Ector's death. He raised, trained and made you the woman you are today, but you never once sounded sad or hurt by the loss, like anyone in the same situation would be." Naruto cast a glance down to Arturia, looking for an explanation on why she chose such a detached mode of address.

Arturia closed her eyes as she breathed in deeply before turning to the window, seeing a small rainstorm was about to come down on the city, "Naruto, the people look to their king as a pillar of strength and guidance, unflinching in the face of tragedy. Regardless of how I feel…" She stilled in her words for a brief moment before she continued on, "…the people must see a king with an iron will that will not cave into their emotions nor let it cloud their judgment. That the subjects of this Kingdom have no reason to worry for me without the guidance of the one who raised me."

Despite wishing to complain at hearing her words, Naruto couldn't find fault with them. She did have a point about the people needing to see a strong leader before them to quell any fear that their leader may not be fit, although… "I suppose on some level, you're right. But there is a difference between being detached and being numb to your own feelings. Leaving such a thing to fester makes a rift with the people. Trust me, I've seen that happen before…" The Kage's of other nations, including the Hokage's themselves, held certain beliefs doing what they thought was right by the village, and while some worked out well enough, others came back to bite them.

Arturia heard Naruto's words, having been told about previous leaders making similar decisions, "I understand your concern, Naruto. But you need not worry for me." Placing her hands on his shoulders, Arturia gave Naruto a serious look, "But now, we need to discuss how to proceed with Guinevere and her father…"

Ah, that little nugget…

* * *

It was an odd thing, really. Guinevere knew that she would one day have to marry a man of nobility, such is the way of the aristocracy, and so she resigned herself to that fact, and as such steeled her mind and body for any manner of man. However, upon first hearing of King Arthur, was the thought that he was no doubt a kind, compassionate and caring man who would treat any woman with love and care. Then as she laid her eyes on the king, she was swept away by his youthful appearance, not genuinely believing the stories that the people spun about the king's youth having been blessed by fairies. He could not have looked older than eighteen at best in that brushed steel plate with an aura that exudes order and serenity.

She could see that he would make a fine husband for any woman, with his chivalrous attitude and care for the kingdom, however, upon hearing his numb speech about Sir Ector, the man that had raised him, she tried to hold his hand to help build a bond between them. With the wedding already being planned out it seemed best to give comfort to her fiancé, only to find him struggling to grasp her hand, or perhaps was she the one struggling?

All Guinevere knew was that it would take some getting used to, and thus she decided that patience was the order of the day. Arthur would come around soon, so it would be of no genuine worry for her in truth. And perhaps soon she would be heavy with a child to raise and care for. Though that line of thought had been cut short when one of the knights, Gareth, had come to bring her to a secluded part of the castle for some strange reason.

"Sir Gareth, while I mean no disrespect to you, why are you leading me through the castle?" Guinevere questioned with curiosity, "I can only imagine that it would be for something of importance given the lateness of the hour, but to what end?"

The helmeted knight turned to face her, a small voice coming through the helm, "The king, as does the rest of the inner circle needs to speak with you of important, but private matters, milady." Sir Gareth turned back to continue leading her onwards, "That is all I can say for now, so I must apologize if this causes you to worry. Have no fear, there is nothing in the walls of the palace or Camelot in general that will harm you. On that, you have my word as a knight under our king."

Well, if Guinevere couldn't trust the word of a knight of King Arthur, then who could she trust? Nodding her head in acceptance, Guinevere continued to follow Sir Gareth deeper into the castle where they came to an iron-bound door. Sir Gareth opened the door, and gestured for her to step inside, "It's alright, milady. There's nothing to be afraid of."

Blinking once before she stepped through the threshold as Gareth came behind and shut the door, only to see Arthur and the entire inner circle before her, "Your majesty, was there something important that you needed to gather your most trusted knights, and myself?" She also saw the younger court mage with his hood up, Naruto if she recalled correctly from a passing conversation with Merlin, standing alongside the king, standing far too close? That made no sense to her!

The king moved out of Naruto's shadow as she strode towards Guinevere and began to speak, "Lady Guinevere before you commit yourself to the position of queen, there are several things that you must know, regardless of political standing. And it is of utmost importance that they shan't leave this room, not even to your father can know." The way the king spoke was as if it were something so damning…

This only brought confusion to her face, which twisted into a queer look that she directed to 'Arthur', "Your majesty, I am afraid that I don't fully understand. What could be so grave that you bring me here, yet do not trust your soon to be father-in-law?" Her answer came when 'Arthur' reached behind 'his' head to undo the ribbon. The tight bun of golden locks came loose in tandem with the King's armor.

The king was…

"The reason why we brought you here is to know my secret, that I am a woman." The now revealed king told her, "My true name is Arturia Pendragon, daughter of Uther and the heir to Britain's throne." Arturia spoke aloud with no lie in her tone.

Guinevere was utterly flabbergasted causing her to stumble back and try and regain her footing, all the while she wondered aloud, "W-Why… h-how…?" She turned to each of the inner circle members to see that none of them were surprised by this revelation, making it clear that they all knew the secret of the king's true gender, "You're a woman…? But then, why not declare yourself queen instead?" This was absolutely maddening!

Arturia sighed, indicating herself. "Because despite the utopia that we aim to create, none of us hold any illusions about what humans are. We are deeply rooted in our prejudices and set in our ways." She nodded to herself in affirmation of her own mindset, "Indeed, were I to rule as queen there would doubtless be those that would question my strength, and it would not be long before a 'suiter' would marry me to take the lands we have cultivated as their own. Thus, the great lie."

Naruto took the ribbon and began to redo her hair, further confusing Guinevere, although the knights knew that there was something between the king and apostle, "Because, it is simply all too late at this point in time, Guinevere…" Arturia added, "…Merlin's prophecy that had spread amongst the people that only a king could save Britain from destruction, not a queen. To come out as a woman would mean Camelot would fall in a short time. For if I were proved a liar, then they would have no reason to believe in any of the ideals I preached. The entire country would be sent into chaos without a leader on the throne to continue protecting it."

Guinevere still seemed confused by all of this and was about to speak again, just as Naruto finished doing Arturia's hair back into the bun, the arcane hooded knight spoke up, "Lady Guinevere, there are many secrets in the world that are meant to be kept as such, this is one of them."

Naruto took his hood off to allow the lady the chance to see his face, though she seemed to almost freeze in fear upon getting a good look at his eyes, "Y-You… you are…!" She pointed a shaking finger at the ninja now knowing what he was exactly.

"Yes. I am a Dead Apostle. A vampire. But you have no reason to fear me…" Naruto opened his mouth to reveal that he was fangless. "…for you see, never once have I ever sucked the blood from the living, nor have I ever felt the inclination do something so disgusting…" His voice was laced with harsh bile at the prospect, "…I've served the king ever since her campaign to unite Britain and create Camelot began. I've earned the trust of our king. But if you still doubt these secrets staying as such, then indulge me enough to tell you a story, about a clan in a faraway land."

Arturia's eyes widened unnoticeably, she was a little surprised that Naruto was going to bring up something from his original land, "Nearly two centuries ago in a faraway land, there was a walled city, founded by two great, powerful and well-respected clans. Eventually, more and more clans joined up with the two, and for nearly eighty years, the city prospered. That is until about ninety years ago, a tragic event occurred that resulted in one of the founding clans to lose their standing and respect." Now Arturia knew precisely what he was talking about.

The Uchiha Massacre.

A bloody event that she swore that she would never allow anything similar to occur as the king. It had been confessed to her one night, where she had asked if there ever was a moral justification for kinslaying. Naruto had supplied her with an answer, that is not to say that she liked it.

"And so, they believed that the only way to reclaim their standing, was to stage a coup." The rest of the inner circle became surprised and drawn into Naruto's story, having never heard of such a thing occurring, "When the leader of the city discovered this from one of the clan's own people, who was loyal to the city as a whole, the leader tried to find a way to dissuade the clan from carrying out their plan."

Naruto breathed in deeply before he continued, having never thought he would be forced to bring this up as an example for needed secrets, "The leader tried to convince the elders that a peaceful solution through words and that statements could be made to stop it all. But in the end, it was doomed to fail... one of the elders had seen the outcome already and managed to eventually convince the other elders and the city leader that the only way to stop the coup, was the clan's destruction. So, they ordered the clan spy to sneak into the night and kill every man, woman and child. His own brothers, sisters, cousins even his mother and father." Guinevere covered her mouth in shock as her eyes widened in disbelief at what Naruto just said. The rest of the inner circle wore similar expressions, and Arturia closed her eyes while ever so slowly shaking her head at the tragedy that eventually lead to Naruto's vampiric status.

"As terrible as that decision was, it averted civil war. Can you imagine, Lady Guinevere if the rest of the city discovered the truth of the truth behind this massacre? Absolute chaos... never ending strife and death..." Naruto eyes bore deeply into Guinevere's own as she slowly came to understand his words, "This is why we have committed ourselves to ensuring that the king's gender, as well as many other things, remains a secret."

Guinevere took it all in as she slowly but surely came to the realization. All of this was merely a front to help hold Britain together under the banner of Camelot to help the people. She resigned herself to the fact that she would be forced to political marriage… and with all of this new information revealed to her… what else could she do, but marry for the sake of Britain…? Closing her eyes, Guinevere took a few steps forward before she bowed her head before gazing at Arturia, "I understand, your majesty… what would have me do to help keep Britain at peace?"

* * *

-Nine Days Later-

For the next two days, the preparations were made for the wedding before it commenced on the third day. It had been grand, but a somewhat short event with the wedding presided over by the local archbishop much to the raucous applause of the crowd that had been jammed into the central atrium of the main keep. But from his position high in the rafters looking down upon the wedding, Naruto had made barely a sound. The after-party lasted for seven days and seven nights of merriment and drinking that saw all of Camelot glowing with light deep into the evening of each day. Tonight, was the final night in which the festivities were slowly coming to a close. All the attendants were in high spirits for the most part, though some merely put on appearances such as the king, the queen and the inner circle but one was not among them…

Naruto had relocated himself to the top of the mountain overlooking the city accompanied by several bottles of ale. A foolish thing really since alcohol didn't have any effect on him at all, but he couldn't stomach the sight of the wedding, a wedding that he had hoped would be between Arturia and himself. He looked down upon the capital, glowing in the dead of night with the fires of those celebrating. Thousands of small lights gathered together beneath the ideal of Arturia, giving her the strength to provide them with strength. But it was built around a lie.

"They're all so happy… yet they don't know a damned thing…" Naruto gulped down another bottle as he tossed it behind him without a care in the world, "Can't even get drunk…" He looked to the moon and spat at it in disdain, "…thanks for robbing me of that, you asshole…" An odd thing really. The one thing he wanted most right now, was denied to him by just being himself.

"Fou~?"

The apostle attempting to get drunk turned to see little Cath Palug sitting off to his right where the tossed bottles were at; the little familiar's head was cocked to the side in curiosity, staring right Naruto. Naruto looked at the bottle before he tried to get another drink, only to find Fou diving right at his hand to swat it out, "Hey! What was that for, huh?! Can't you see that I'm…!" He stopped mid-sentence as the look that Fou was giving him was one of what could be interrupted as disappointment…

Naruto looked back to the bottles of ale before Fou came over and kicked them over; the little beast was trying to tell him something, "Fou~! Fou~!" Naruto gave a humorless chuckle as he got the feeling from Cath that he shouldn't be trying to drink his sorrows away from the last few nights.

"Yeah…" Naruto said as the emotions began to come forth, "…you're right, Fou…" He tucked his legs up to his face as he buried himself into them, "…I shouldn't try to do that…" At first, tears came down with Fou making his way up atop his shoulder. Next came to huffs to try and hold it back; Fou nuzzled up against Naruto's cheek to try and comfort the vampire a bit, as best he could. And finally, the cries and tears of sadness came forth with the pain of never being the one down there days ago, to trade vows in holy matrimony…

"Why… why couldn't that have been us instead…?"

* * *

-Morgan le Fay's Lair-

It was time.

Now it could all begin with her work upon the weapon, "It's seems now I can start with my sister's downfall." Morgan looked towards the scrying orb to witness Arturia leaving the party for a brief moment, heading to the gardens where she shed silent tears before wiping them away, "How foolish of her to take such action, why should the great Lion King care for the opinions of sheep?"

"Mother…" The voice of Agravain called out to Morgan as he stepped forward in the armor that he would wear when he would be brought to the king. He was tall and well built, similar to her eldest son, Gawain, in a way, but it was there that similarities to the Knight of the Sun stopped. Morose features dotted a deeply lined and serious face with slicked-back black hair trailing to the bottom of his neck in lank locks. His eyes were deadly serious and lacked any form of pity or morality within their cold blue depths. His armor was similar to the initial set worn by that French knight, Lancelot, save for the fact that it was matte black with a white-furred collar, a simple bastard sword hung from the belt slung around the waist of his cuirass; this did not take attention away from the black front cape that hung between his legs similar to her sister when she wore her armor. Strapped to his left shoulder was an opulent blue and white-furred cloak that trailed all the way to the floor and concealed his sword arm.

"…I'm ready to depart for Camelot." His baritone voice filled Morgan with glee.

"Very good…" Morgan rose from her throne as she turned towards the three vials of blood, she acquired months ago from Vortigern's fortress: The first held the blood of Albion, the White Dragon. The second held the blood of her sister. The third and final vial held the blood of Naruto, the only Divine Dead Apostle in existence, "…go forth and introduce yourself to the king and court. I've already made the arrangements for your name to have status and backing. Enough to insert yourself into the inner circle and gain my sister's trust." Morgan made her way over towards what appeared to be a gothic mirror. She tapped it twice, with the reflection opening up into a dark corridor where black mist emanated from it.

Agravain knew full well what his mother was going to do now, "You're going to create _it_, now mother?" To try and create a homunculus from the blood of a Dead Apostle was near impossible as far as he knew with his limited knowledge on the creatures of the night.

Morgan turned back to her son with a smirk, "Of course. Thanks to Blackmore's theft of the method behind Altrouge's creation, I've managed to plot out all of the adjustments I need to make with my sister's blood along with the vampire's own, as well as having recovered the ritual that Merlin performed to infuse her with the blood of the Red Dragon." The vials gave off a sickly green glow as she began to step into the mirror, "I have everything I need to make, and this pocket realm will only help speed things up. Now go forth and plant yourself among the ranks of Camelot's finest so that all they have built may come crashing down!" Morgan waved her hand as the mirror returned to its original appearance and Agravain gave a brief bow before he left his mother to her machinations.

Funny, to think he would have a new sister of sorts, if only for her to be a tool for his aunt's destruction? He cared not, for he truly hated women.

* * *

_Musings of a Wizard Marshal_

_By K.Z.S._

_Being and immortal leads one to be drawn into their lusts far more than those of a mortal, despite how paradoxical such a thing may seem to the outside viewer. You would think that having limited time on earth would inspire mortals to grab life by the nuts and have their way while they can, and I can confirm from numerous other realities that this is sometimes the case. But Immortals need something to alleviate their boredom and lust is very easy to fall into. Lust for flesh, lust for power, lust for knowledge and the one that I am guilty of, lust for entertainment._

_But Naruto? He's different, his forthright need to bring back his beloved is so fervent that he has shunned almost all forms of lust for over a millennia, which makes it funny as hell for me to taunt him about being surrounded by beautiful women and refusing to take them to bed. Although there was one with whom he threatened to dance the tantric tango, I wonder how the King of Knights would react to that one? Perhaps it's time to take another turn on the Kaleidoscope to see what different perspectives it has to offer..._

* * *

_**This chapter serves as a bridge between arcs, introducing us to the main players of the arc and the feelings of the players moving forwards. **_

_**Man, this chapter was put off for a long time. Sad to say, I wanted to jump back onto it, but I was forced to move out with my house getting renovations for a couple of months, and the move back in has only prolonged it's status, so I apologize if it doesn't seem up to snuff from the previous chapters. Plus, I'm pretty sure Big Chungus sent my Beta into a coma so he needed some rest. But also helping out a friend with planning out his own story a bit, and vice versa with a new NarutoxFate/stay night story:**_

"_**Another Heaven"**_

_**It takes a Naruto from a slightly alternate post-Kaguya battle and he winds up in the Nasuverse a year before the events of the Fifth Fuyuki Grail War begins. Don't expect it to be following only a single route though, as it will be a bit of an interesting way to go about it, as I'm also bringing in some other Nasuverse characters to try and make things interesting.**_

_**Anyways, the next chapter Moonlight will be another timeskip, and we all get introduced to prolly the most adorable ball of rage we've ever seen in Fate ;)**_

_**So, continue to read, review (no flames or insults as those will be ignored and reported), favorite and follow this story as well as the others on my profile. And with reviews, please tell me what you guys liked and/or disliked about the chapter, otherwise I can't improve my writing to make the story better.**_

_**Until next time, see you guys later!**_

_**(1) This is a quote from the poem "Ozymandias" about Ramses II, it essentially boils down to mentioning how nothing lasts forever regardless of how mighty it may seem.**_


	9. Chapter 8: The Glory of Camelot Part II

_**I apologize if it appears that the chapter repeats itself, as I've fixed the issue and hope everyone understands that it acted up somehow.**_

**_Good morning/afternoon/evening everyone, it's been a while since the last chapter and I am happy that as of right now the story is sitting at a healthy 333 reviews, exactly 1 third of the way to 1000, for that I thank you all. Now before we get into the AN propper, indulge me in a little housekeeping: _**

**_PLEASE READ MY AN'S BEFORE READING THE STORY. THEY CONTAIN ANSWERS TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS YOU GUYS MAY HAVE FOR THE STORY._**

**_So, several people have been asking me if the pairing will be NarutoxArturiax[Anyone else]. While I can understand the difference in taste and I know many are fans of Naruto being with multiple women at the same time... I just don't really see the appeal, I think it's because the amount of Multi's on here that just made me lose my appetite for them compared to a single pairing._**

**_Let me be clear:_**

**_The pairing is set and cannot be changed at this point. You will not be able to convince me otherwise._**

**_As an aside, some of the suggested "additional pairing options" were...bizarre._**

**_I mean, Guinevere? Morgan? The connotations of being with either in the context of this story so far are a higher mystery of life that I choose not to ponder. _**

**_Ergo, NarutoxArturia._**

**_That's it. Anyone else would kind of ruin everything else planned and set in motion._**

**_I've also noticed how some people are voicing discontent about the upcoming ending of the first act of this story, in that it's something that appears to be unchanging, despite the Prologue already having it set since it starts with a waking Naruto in the 20th century. There is both a practical in-world reason for this (The Quantum Time Lock) and a narrative reason as well in that the eventual ending playing out the way it does galvanises Naruto to make sure that it doesn't happen again._**

**_Another reviewer commented that I'm not doing the character of Naruto justice for this at all in that he's not changing what will occur, and that Shirou in another Fate/stay night fic - that has Fate route Shirou winding up in Arturia's time before she pulled the sword- where Shirou tries to change things. Well, allow me to share my thoughts and beliefs on this comment._**

**_Naruto isn't changing Camelot all that much, but instead bringing over what he could from Konoha into it, to make it better and set the foundation of what the modern world will one day become. Rather instead, Camelot is changing Naruto._**

**_I know that this isn't a traditional way of storytelling; however, this is one that will allow more people to see how Naruto has changed from his canon self. Naruto's original beliefs were all and utterly shattered by Sasuke's betrayal with him tossing Naruto into the Nasuverse in Kaguya's collapsing dimensions. He still held some of it, but it's changed over towards more along the lines of being more realistic, yet still holding to the ideal that the world can be a better place, only Naruto now knows that not everyone can be saved. You can try to do that, but it's up to them to take your hand._**

**_This coupled with small things help shape the future down the line that will pay off in big ways._**

**_Other people believe that Naruto can still be OP and the story be good, however as much as I like an OP Naruto as much as the next guy does, I have to treat him with at least some of the in universe rules or else he becomes a pain as an author to invent reasons and situations why Naruto didn't instantly curb stomp and then there would be no story._**

**_Someone argued that it's a nerf to Naruto, but really, it's not as I've explained it already. Naruto needs to struggle in order to grow, and without said struggle, there is no story, and if you argue against that, then all I can say is that we have different views on the way to tell a story. But ultimately that opposing view runs into the Superman Problem._**

**_If Naruto is so OP as YOU want him to be, then there is no excitement, no tension, no character development, and no real sense of danger when he meets an enemy. He would one-shot everything and anything that got in his way, and he really wouldn't change or mature in any way._**

**_This concept of "Naruto has to be the strongest in any verse he is inserted into from the get-go" is vexing because it leads to people complaining about things that are moronic when you look at it for more than a second. I site a NarutoxDC story where a reviewer complained for over 600 words that Naruto didn't flatten his opponent in 1 second flat. That opponent was the multiversal New God, Darkseid._**

**_If you still disagree, then all I can say is that we won't agree on this subject, and it's best that it's not brought up anymore as I don't really care to comment or see it in the reviews or PM's sent my way with this subject._**

**_Well, onto reviews that I wasn't able to PM or respond to –_**

**_Guest; Chapter 8, November 25th – Lol, well I have yet to play the game, but now that I have it, I intend on perhaps having some references in future chapters and stories. Anyways, thanx._**

**_Rasengan – Guinevere won't get the hots for Naruto. Just putting that out there right now. And yes, Galahad will show up later, but I won't say when exactly._**

**_OneWhoCantWrite – Honestly, writing a tragic love story never crossed my mind as I'm kinda weak at romance, thought I do get some inspiration every once and a while, in which I try to save certain things for certain occasions and couple in different stories._**

**_As for Camelot's fall, well, it's going to be one hell of a tragic rollercoaster ride that I'm sure will leave many reader's hearts aching for the characters fates._**

**_With Mordred's power differing from the canon, well, the future awaits with surprises ;)_**

**_As for the Green Knight, he will return and he plays a bit of a role in things with not just Gawain, but other characters as well in how Camelot collapses._**

**_Whoops, I'll need to rectify that mistake with the misspelling of the Wandering Sea._**

**_Maks10: Boom, here it is._**

**_Now with all of that out of the way, on with the new chapter and please do enjoy it!_**

* * *

Chapter 8 – The Glory of Camelot Part II

-April, 476 AD-

"_Well, I must say I do good work. You'll be in charge of training it, from now on." The dark fae spoke, serene words dripping with venom that could fell most armies._

"_I **understand**, mistress," The monstrosity replied, rotten teeth grinding against one another disgustingly._

"_And do be sure to not hold back. I don't want this weapon to grow dull or lose the edge to kill." Groused the third, his voice a cold monotone that allowed a mote of chagrin into its dark expanse._

"_Very well then. I suppose it's only natural for the White to be able to match the Red after all."_

* * *

-Camelot; the Hall of the Round Table-

Two years had passed since the wedding like fleeting snow in a desert, the union between the King and Queen solidified that the future of Camelot and Britain itself was secured, and God willing, an heir wouldn't be far behind. Or at least that was the belief of those who didn't know the truth.

"I am honestly thankful for these past few years of peace. Camelot and Britain continue to endure in prosperity." Arturia spoke with a hint of pride within her tone as she addressed the Court of Camelot. Her royal blue and brushed steel armour had been joined by a knee-length blue and white cape worn around the shoulders, framing her form before the eyes of her knights.

On the day of the wedding, Leodegrance had gifted the King and Queen a large round table, apparently having been inspired by the King's chivalry and the respect held for the knights of the inner circle, it was a place where all were equal to voice their opinions to the King. Arturia sat upon a high-backed chair of oak and tailored blue upholstery that was a recreation of the marble throne in the throne room, standing out amongst the knights who each sat in smaller but no less fine chairs befitting their station.

As for Naruto, he sat himself atop a simple wood chair before a large desk to Arturia's right, though placed slightly behind her as per his occasional duties as court mage, for once more he was adorned in Merlin's robes. The illusive Flower Magus having once more left the capital to speak with the forming Magi stronghold forming in Londinium.

There were three new additions to the court since the wedding. Firstly, Sir Bors and King Pellinore. Bors was Lancelot's elder cousin who had sailed overseas from France under King Ban's orders to help provide strength to the solidifying Kingdom of Britain. As for King Pellinore, the title was kept more out of respect as opposed to actual monarchy, for his rule over his large barony during Vortigern's reign. Pellinore was in fact Percival's father; Percival had suggested to Arturia that a man such as his father could help provide counsel to help in regards to politics due to a life spent navigating the backroom stabbings of court culture.

Arguably the eldest member to join since Ector's passing, Pellinore was a man in his very early fifties with a sturdy frame. Unlike the rest of the Round Table, Pellinore was completely bald, having shaved his hair entirely due to not being bothered to wait for the rest of his hair to fall out. He wore mostly dark grey mail over which was a sweeping cloak that hid most of the chainmail from view. His face, while somewhat craggy, held a serene smile that gave him the air of a gentle giant.

Sir Bors, on the other hand, was perhaps thirty, a shock of auburn hair framed his face in neat bangs to reveal forget-me-not blue eyes. He wore a red cloth jerkin bearing his family sigil over a set of brushed silver plate that locked more ceremonial than combat ready.

As for the third addition to what the people had come to call the Knights of the Round Table, though at Naruto's insistence the newer members did not know Arturia's gender, was a man named Agravain. He had been introduced to the Round Table by a well-known if somewhat reclusive French noble by the name of Bertilak de Hautdesert with the swell of nobles offering their best knights to the King's service. Many of them were adequate while many more were all bark and no bite, but Agravain had been accepted due to a unique ability that the others lacked. Despite how he appeared to be rather stiff, the man had a great talent for juggling many issues and requests from local and foreign dignitaries, lords, big-name merchants, etc. Thus, he had been offered the position of Secretary of the Round Table.

Arturia turned to Agravain as he brought up several papers, "So then, how fares the capital and country?"

Clearing his throat, Agravain began to list off a few things that he thought would bring up some good news to help with the mood, "For starters, the trade markets are overflowing in business along with the people bringing in goods from Ireland over the Irish Sea. However, the language barrier is proving to be an issue at the ports, it also might be prudent to double-check if anything potentially harmful got brought over."

"In regards to the orphanage you had constructed eighteen months ago, it's well supplied and furnished for the children to live in while potential parents have yet to come forwards. The grand library has been filled with many texts donated from our more arcane acquaintances who transcribed them from the Library of Alexandria before it's burning." Agravain said, turning over the list in his hands, his eyes never leaving the paper, his brow creased at one strongly worded report.

"The peasants have been making an effort to educate themselves, although a few lords called such a decision into question." The black armoured knight flipped over to a new paper, "As for security, I do believe that since our domestic enemies are vanquished, thus we can reduce the shifts of guards to a slower pace, along with shifting many of them over to the army if Tiberius in Rome decides to turn his eyes towards Britain."

Indeed. So far, Tiberius - little upstart that he was - was making a mildly concerning amount of headway in his so-called 'conquest' to reclaim the old imperial remnants, though he still met resistance from the Byzantine Empire to the east in Asia Minor. Still, he was taking the lands near Germania, and it wouldn't be long before he turned his gaze to Britannia and Camelot.

A murmur of agreement washed over the room, no doubt they would be dealing with the upstart emperor in the future, although there was one among them who wasn't quite with the rest of them, "I'm not sure about that myself." All eyes turned to Naruto who maintained his appearance as Merlin, Fou sat atop his right shoulder at attention, "Even though we've brought the rebel lords under Camelot's banner years ago, drove off the foreign invaders, and took down the usurper Vortigern, there still stands one last domestic threat to Britain: Morgan le Fay."

Even though they hadn't heard a peep out of her in a little over half a decade, not since she stole Caliburn from Arturia, Naruto had no doubt the Fae was still out there scheming to get the throne. Gawain and his siblings shifted uncomfortably in their seats at the mention of their mother. Despite being the one who brought them into this world, she seemed to always get some uncomfortable reaction out of them. Naruto could sense the negative emotions that the others were having on the Fae, which wasn't surprising given how much trouble she had brought to them, however there was one whom Naruto didn't feel any real negativity rolling off of: Agravain. That was odd, and it bared further investigation.

The blonde's disguised red eyes shifted imperceptibly while contemplating the secretary, his mind awhirl with thoughts that he would keep to himself until he had evidence. Agravain's lack of negative emotion was to be expected given he was only a recent addition to the Round Table, but as a new face, he had been subject to Naruto using his spy network to run a background check to see if the reclusive lord that had recommended him was correct to do so. What Naruto had found was unsettlingly mundane in its details, every single claim that the knight had at his back was verified to be true in some regard or another, every T crossed and every I dotted. _'It's too mundane.'_ Naruto thought, filtering out the conversations amongst the Round Table to focus, _'It's almost as if he's a storybook character written to be mundane yet skilled, generic yet somehow special. There is no apparent dirty secret, yet that makes me wonder. What are you trying to hide?'_

He was roused from his thoughts as Arturia spoke up, "Have you managed to ascertain her lair's location?" Arturia turned to glance at Naruto as he gazed back while shaking his head in response.

"No, my King. I'm sorry, but my spies haven't found where she hides."

If the King seemed dissatisfied at the answer, then she didn't show it, her face remaining uncomfortably stoic. "I see. Until we're able to discern her location, it would be best to leave the matter off to the side. I won't waste any lives in pursuit of where my sister may scheme from." She didn't mean it to sound harsh or to imply non-commitment with the matter, Arturia simply didn't want to jeopardize the lives of those under her command, especially when there was the looming threat overseas. Her sister was a spider, sitting quietly in the corner and feeling the vibrations of discord across the world while she weaved her webs of schemes; plotting from the shadows, very rarely acting directly, or merely using others like Vortigern to do the dirty work for her.

Naruto nodded his head as he put his concentration back to the other matters of the court, as he began putting two Thought Partitions running for the current matter, while the other began running through the various locations where Morgan could potentially be hiding. All the while his tenant spoke up.

_"**Hey, don't get too much in a tizzy of what she said."**_ Kurama said nonchalantly to his partner.

'_I know, but I don't think we should throw away the idea of getting Morgan out of the picture.'_

**_"Don't get me wrong, I'm 100% with you on killing that Fae. But she brings up the point about not wanting to waste lives away."_**

'_Yeah, you're right. I guess for now I just gotta expand my spy network to see if I can rope in a few mages if possible, to help hunt her down.'_

* * *

-The Tower of Magi-

After the court was concluded, Naruto made his way up to his workshop to continue progress on his various projects. Clarent was coming along smoothly, although Naruto was taking his time with this one since it was meant to be the sword that would bestow knighthood onto those worthy to come to the Round Table. The mold was formed, but unfortunately this would be no simple smithing mainly in that the process was... complicated. Trying to bind the conceptual energy of the White Dragon's blood into a physical form without it blowing up in his face was something that had given him a few sleepless nights. His first attempt had ended so poorly that the blade had shattered so forcefully that he had been forced to pull shards of enchanted orichalcum from his skull's right orbit, _'__Thank the sage for healing factors and vampiric regeneration.' _he thought with a morbid mirth, a phantom itch manifesting where he had pulled the shards free from.

The material was one of the hardest thing to get right for the sword because each enchantment used to strengthen magically enhanced metal did not seem to mix well with dragon's blood, the draconic liquid overloading part of the enchantment matrices, causing errors in the alchemical syntax that resulted in a cascading degeneration in the metal till it was no longer capable of containing the magic. He had initially thought that he could circumvent this problem with a superior metal, Mithril or Adamantine being his prime choices.

Choices which sadly had ended in dead ends. Until Naruto had looked into it, he had not believed Altrouge's claim that Mithril was the rarest metal in the magical world, considering that his uncanny luck and hard work would step in once again to find the silvery mineral. "The thing about luck is. Eventually, it runs out." Naruto said to himself, lifting up the 8th of an ounce of Mithril he had managed to acquire in the last two years. According to Merlin, the majority of the Mithril had disappeared during the destruction of the Norse texture of the world in 1000BC, making what was left a commodity people would trade their very children to get. The fact Altrouge had managed to scrape together an entire ingot of the stuff was a testament to her connections and influence.

Adamantine was in far higher amounts and nearly as good as Mithril, but in a place out of Naruto's reach. Merlin had cautioned Naruto that Wandering Sea was obsessed with all things of the Age of Gods and while they held a significant deposit of the divine Grecian metal in the moving mountain they called home, the Wandering Magi would just as soon vivisect the Divine Dead Apostle Ancestor as they were to let him in to even see it.

After much pondering the solution had been simple, steel. Easy to access and work with and conceptual malleability that aged back to many a smith god such as Hephaestus or Vulcan. The process would be slow, very slow, but he did not have to worry about many accidents that he could not nip in the bud. Most Magi would turn their nose up at using something as _base, _but Naruto cared not, he was known for making miracles from mongrels.

This would be his greatest work yet.

As for the other project that he was currently working on right now was a lance for little Gareth. The sweet thing had come to him asking about having a special lance of her own, after seeing Arturia use Rhongomyniad in their last battle against the Saxons as she unleashed the Wild Hunt to aid them. Well, who was he to say no to such a sweet face asking for a new weapon?

So far, the lance had taken less time as he wasn't the prolonged process that Clarent would be using, choosing to go for both sturdy and flexible in order for the lance to be lifted lightly for Gareth's smaller build. He'd even add in a 'Mystic Code Firing Mechanism' into the lance, similar to the massive crossbolt stations he remembered seeing back home while on his training trip with Jiraiya. Fiddling with the finely machined gear of either-lite into the snow globe shaped mystic code and watching it begin to spin lethargically, emitting a blue glow within the glass confine of the globe.

It would create a concussive blast of sorts when she would strike the lance up against the desired target, to give it an extra 'kick' per say.

"I'm sure Gareth'll get a kick out of this!" Naruto chuckled briefly before looking around quickly as he didn't want anyone to make an unintentional pun.

_"**That pun sucked. Merlin's worse aspects are rubbing off on you…"**_

'_Well aren't you a ray of sunshine this afternoon.'_

As Naruto shifted over in his seat to grab a set of tools to continue working, he stopped briefly as one of his clones in Camelot suddenly popped sending a rush of memories to him,

_A small figure darted around the corner, their figure obscured by the tattered brown cloak they wore, they looked back to him but disappeared before the clone could pursue._

"Huh?" Naruto shifted in his seat as he turned his head to see someone leave around the corner, "That was weird. Must've been one of the servants; guess they got a little spooked or something." Naruto shook his head as he directed his attention back to the lance, "Oh well, back to work."

As for the brief spectator that had been watching his clone, they decided to keep on exploring the city.

* * *

-Elsewhere-

Among the curving streets of Camelot's outskirts, the morose and thin-lipped Agravain made his way through the streets, his black armor he wore drawing the gaze of peasants and merchants alike. A cold glare quickly from the Secretary cowed the inquisitive glances and many mothers made to bring their children inside to not incur the knight's ire. Passing a half-hearted wave to the eastern gate guards, getting the attention from one of the stable boys who rushed to attend him. "I intend to go hunting for the afternoon, saddle me a horse as soon as you can," he ordered commandingly, long blue cloak fluttering lightly in the breeze.

"At once, Sir Agravain! Christopher, Blake, Lennox! Bridle the finest steed available for our honoured guest," the stablehand replied before barking out orders, the three layabout stable boys hastily dropping their game of cards. Within the next two minutes, a thoroughbred black mare was led out to the waiting knight.

Agravain nodded in acceptance before starting to mount the horse. "I will be back before mid-afternoon, be sure to be ready to receive me upon my return."

"But my lord," the stablehand asked, features twisting in confusion, "You bare no bow or spear. How do you intend to hunt game with nothing but a sword? If you wait a moment, I'm sure that Lennox would fetch-"

The suggestion died in the stablehand's throat when Agravain fixed him with a glare that sent a shiver down his spine, the words grinding to a screeching halt as if a pair of strong hands had clamped around his throat.

"You doubt my ability, peasant?" Agravain's words were perfectly level yet frigid as the coldest winter. "I will need nothing but my sword for this, and you would do well to remember your place in this world."

Not waiting for a response, Agravain grabbed the reigns of his horse and turned it away from the stablehand who collapsed when Agravain's glare left him, his body drenched in cold sweat. Proceeding at a trot towards the eastern gate, he did not have to wait long before the gates were unbarred, and twin portcullises were drawn up by a series of gears and pulleys deep within the curtain wall that surrounded Camelot. Once the gate was finally open, he dug his spurs into the horse's flank and galloped off into the British countryside.

Riding in silence for a time save for the telltale gallop of his steed, Agravain kept his mind focused on his objective, it was not until he was sure that the capitol had disappeared from view that he turned off the main road into one of the thick forests that constituted Camelot's natural defences. An hour later and the King's Secretary felt a jolt of static at the nape of his neck, telling him that he had passed beyond the final sensory bounded field that Naruto had installed and refined over the years.

Letting out a small sigh at a distance he had to travel for this, Morgan's child told himself that it was necessary that he not be discovered, for his mother's plan to go off without a hitch.

Agravain was a man who understood the merit of long-term planning, although let it be known that he wasn't one to have much patience for such trivial matters. Of course, now Morgan had created the weapon that she so desired there was nothing to fear, but he saw the numerous flaws and complications that would no doubt spring forth from such a wretched thing. Ergo, Agravain felt the need to take proactive action concerning his aunt's downfall.

While his insertion into the Round Table had faced relatively little opposition, he felt the gaze of Merlin's shadow upon him like a hawk. The King had introduced the blonde as her Knight of Sky Silver, an arcane knight unto her service since the beginning. Naruto was his name. A name he knew well enough from his mother's ranting and scheming. She had assured him that the cover she had set for him was fool proof with hundreds of people hoodwinked with false memories to corroborate the story that his _patron _had given the King. Despite that, in the time that Agravain had been in the capital, he had come to a singular conclusion.

Naruto didn't trust him.

Every conceivable precaution had been taken to prevent this ranging from the carefully scripted introduction and downplaying of his abilities to the pendant he wore around his neck now. It had been given to him by his mother as a method to totally shut out his negative emotions after their ally, Blackmore, had told them of Naruto's apparent empathetic ability to sense negative emotions. Despite that, Agravain could feel it deep in the pit of his stomach that the blonde did not trust him.

A significant problem when it came to the task of getting closer to the King. He would need to have an ace up his sleeve should it come to trade blows with the Apostle, as well as the King. During the earlier meeting at the Round Table, he introduced a minor French nobleman named Bertilak de Hautdesert; a man that was interested in trading in the capital in rare materials along with bringing heavy coin to the markets of Camelot. The negotiations went well for the most part, save for the light glare Bertilak would send Gawain every now and then. Naruto was getting suspicious and began questioning the Frenchman until Agravain decided to convince the King to end the day's meeting.

He knew how well that Naruto had a network of spies seeded throughout the Kingdom, and he _always_ found out the little details. It was the reason why Agravain found himself dismounting his horse in an apparently empty clearing so far from Camelot's walls because his _patron _was leaning against a nearby oak, its bark mottled and rotting from some apparent blight. Aggravain dismounted his horse and strode towards the finely dressed noble with purpose, not stopping when he began to speak.

"So, what was it that you wanted to speak with me…" the French accent shone through his perfect English, "…_Sir_ Agravain?" Bertilak held some sarcasm within the mentioning of Agravain's anointed status as a knight. Clearly mocking him for taking on such a trivial matter of being the King's Secretary.

Gritting his teeth in annoyance, Agravain stomped towards Bertilak and promptly slammed him up against the tree trunk as he spoke with a calm, yet collected rage, "You. Fucking. Idiot. Your obsession with Gawain threatens the plan." His black gauntleted hand clenched into a fist and in a blur of movement slammed into the noble's jaw, sending him flying some fifteen feet away from Agravain where he landed ungracefully on his rear.

The figure of Bertilak sat destitute on the floor for a moment, his head down against his chin as Agravain slowly began to approach him with a twitching fist but no follow up attack came. Instead, the clearing was filled with a cavalcade of disgusting sounds emanating from Bertilak when he began to rise to his feet, his exposed flesh jiggling and wiggling ghoulishly from something moving beneath the skin until a gnarled green root burst forth from his neck. Agravain watched on with distaste as the Frenchman's body began to heave and convulse, skin losing its healthy parlour to be replaced with that of a corpse, muscles bulging naturally beneath the flayed rotting flesh. Hair receded into his scalp accompanied by the foul wet crunches of bones and teeth cracking against one another only to reset into a far larger body than Bertilak had ever been.

Finally, with a wheeze of bark filled lungs signalling the completion of the transformation, Bertilak's appearance shifted into his true identity: The Green Knight.

"Oh, **please…**" The undead abomination of Morgan's work spoke through the rough vocal cords he still held, "**…all** I **did **was **size **up **my **destined **opponent**." Agravain shifted to a less combative stance at that, thanking that Morgan had gifted the undead brute with a little more intelligence, "Besides, **it's **not **like **he **won't **die **by **my **hand **eventually. **I** can **wait **for our **fated **rematch."

Agravain wasn't amused by how nonchalant the Green Knight was being, "Either way, you know full well how we must proceed." He quickly looked around to see that the Green Knight was alone, "Where is it?"

"**Where** is **what**?" The undead knight responded, not knowing what Agravain meant.

"The weapon. Where. Is. The. Weapon…?" Agravain said impatiently, "_You_ were placed in charge of conditioning it."

The Green Knight looked to the side for a bit before gazing back at Agravain, "…I lost it back in the city…"

The veins upon Agravain's forehead bulked and protruded garishly as his face contorted into a mix of disbelief and abject loathing for his treelike companion. All manner of animals ran for cover when two words bellowed forth from Agravain's now snarling face.

"…**_YOU WHAT?!_**"

* * *

-The Tower of Magi-

"Well, I think that'll do it for the day on the lance," Naruto said to himself as he got up from the workbench. He made his way between the floors of the tower looking for a particular tome that bore the symbol of the moon in a shade of crimson that gave Naruto a twitch in aggravated remembrance. Cracking it open and beginning to read the chapter that he was looking for saw Naruto puzzling over his own development of skills. His Magecraft was progressing at a level that Merlin was satisfied with, but that did not mean he didn't run into the occasional plateau of stagnated development that he had to figure out how to either overcome.

However, it was after many months of musing and self-contemplating that the red-eyed blonde had come to a rather unsatisfactory conclusion, that he had been neglecting his vampiric abilities. He still despised the very concept of drinking blood, but that was not what he was looking into because the three boons of Apostlehood could potentially elevate his skill to new heights. Firstly there was his Mystic Eyes of Enchantment that were almost universal to all Apostles of a certain level of development. Secondly was the ability that was inherent to the True Ancestors, Marble Phantasm.

However, Naruto's current area of research was considered a Herculean undertaking to those of the Moonlit World, a Reality Marble. Considered to be the pinnacle of Magecraft by many different schools of thought, the ability to overwrite the World with your own smaller world held an appeal to Naruto that had been made apparent ever since he had first had the term explained to him by Zelretch several decades ago. The problem was that acquiring a Reality Marble was both natural as breathing to some and literally impossible for others.

_"Reality Marbles you say?" _Merlin had said just before leaving on his trip to Wandering Sea, _"Tricky little things because you need to be a certain kind of person to attain one. I'm considered an Archmagus, but I can't develop one due to the way my Incubus heritage affects the layout of my mind. Other people can develop through decades of Magecraft study, but the mechanics of each Reality Marble will be different depending on the person producing them." _

Merlin believed that Naruto could potentially develop one given how most members of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors possessed one and a message to Altrouge had told Naruto that all True Ancestor's possessed aspects and fragments of Brunestud's own Reality Marble.

Growing aggravated by the lack of progress he had made, Naruto tossed the book onto the desk and ran his hand through his hair. "Come on, Naruto! You can do this, the theory is simple," Naruto spoke to himself, voice echoing around the empty room. "You create a bounded field which contains a representation of your inner world and push it beyond you. Inside becomes outside and outside becomes in, but the only thing inside me is-"

Naruto stilled, his whole body becoming stiffer than a board. "I'm an idiot, why didn't I think I think of this before!" he cursed under his breath before rising from the chair to speak with the one person in mind to help him out. Heading towards the centre of the room, Naruto sat down in a meditative pose as he delved into his mindscape to talk with Kurama about it.

It had been a long time since he had been inside the mindscape, with parts of it changing from the original sewer it once was, into something more along the lines of a stone-walled fortress with water reaching up to his ankles. Kurama's little corner hadn't changed really, which Naruto chalked it up to the fox having that bit of control over it, "Oi, Kurama! I need your help with something."

The fox had been going in and out of sleep was slightly startled by Naruto appearing before him, though the beast quickly regained his usual composure that he always held, **"And what would that be with…?"** The great dane-sized fox spoke, **"…if you want help with relationships, I'd say you're barking up the wrong tree."**

Naruto rolled his eyes bringing up his current topic, "No, I'm talking about developing a Reality Marble."

Kurama raised a brow at that, **"A Reality Marble? What makes you think I could help with something on that level of a scale?"** Reality Marble's where no joke and took massive amounts of energy to create as well as maintain for an extended period of time. Because it was essentially suppressing the will of the planet for a time, a sort of Bounded Field that was slowly being erased by the Counter Force due to it being a foreign world invading the Earth itself.

"Because of the Tailed Beast Mode," Naruto began to explain, "You're essentially a non-corporeal being. Just a mass of chakra that exists in my soul, but you can extend that as a physical manifestation of yourself. What is within me becomes what surrounds me, do you think that could form the basis to work off for the Reality Marble?"

Kurama regarded his partner for a minute before humming in thought, **"Hmm… it's a good explanation. And while the Tailed Beast Mode does work in a similar way, though you're talking about a Reality Marble. You're pushing your entire mental landscape into the real world as opposed to just my Chakra; and the Counter Force won't take too kindly to that. It's far more difficult than you think."** Kurama put a hand to his chin in thought however, **"On the other hand, the Counter Force isn't affecting you as it once did in the past."**

Naruto silently agreed with that statement, no doubt Vivian's gift had been slowly at work trying to remove the restrictions the world had placed on him, "Which means that it's possible to create one. I've been accumulating Mystery for a good while now and since the Counter Force's has been lax on me, I think part of my old power is also coming back." The old shinobi powers that he had were returning slowly but surely to his body. And if he could find a way to achieve its full return any sooner, while combining it with his Magecraft that he's learned so far…

All in all, the world saw him less of a threat, and more as 'protector' of sorts. Protecting the linchpin of the one who held the Age of Fairies in the world per say.

* * *

-The Training Grounds-

"Keep your stance postured, manoeuvre correctly, hold your sword with both hands, and you will not see defeat at an enemy's hands."

Lancelot had taken to the training grounds to oversee and teach some of the newer soldiers that entered the army. It was something that he did enjoy in the meantime to help ensure that the younger men had the best chance to overcome any odds that came their way. After the latest meeting, Lancelot felt the need to get his mind off some of the more complicated matters of the kingdom, choosing to leave it to Agravain with his new position.

As Lancelot finished with a bit of a lesson, he turned to see Tristan watching on from the sides with his usual, sorrowful appearance. If it ever changed, then there would be raining dogs and cats…

Turning back to the trainee's, Lancelot spoke up, "Go ahead and take rest, young men. We'll continue later on in an hour. You've been sweating and working, now enjoy some comfort in rest."

"Yes, sir!" The recruits responded as they made their way to the bunks to rest.

Lancelot turned his way towards Tristan as he came over to his fellow Round Table member with, if what Lancelot could make out from his meagre inquisitive expression, "I didn't want to interrupt your training, Lancelot."

Lancelot waved it off briefly, "It's quite alright, Tristan. I was already nearing the end of the lesson either way." Lancelot pointed the practice sword down as he buried the tip in the dirt, "And besides, they looked as if they were going to drop of boredom." Both men gave a small chuckle at his words. Which he wasn't wrong. Ever since they had deposed Vortigern, the times of peace had only grown with no real threat in sight, other than the potential one across the sea, and the dark mystic threat still lurking from Morgan.

"Well, I suppose I can't fault you for that at all…" Tristan said, "…although, I do have to ask: what do you think of Agravain and his position?" Upon meeting the man, Tristan felt no emotion to speak of, but beyond that, he appeared to be a knight, just one adept with the quill.

Lancelot hummed a bit before he spoke up, "Well, I think we both know that the King has many duties, and Agravain being the secretary merely helps fill in the for the skills that the King lacks. In this case, academic management." He chuckled a bit before he saw Tristan raising a hand to his chin in thought.

"Perhaps…" Tristan said aloud, "…although I do have to wonder if the King lacks something else more important?"

"What do you mean, Tristan?" Lancelot inquired.

Tristan was roused from his thoughts as he shook his head, "Oh, pay it no mind, Lancelot. I should be going, take care, my friend." And with that, Tristan left to tend to his own things, all the while Lancelot gazed back at him, wondering just what he had meant. As Lancelot turned back towards the barracks, he caught sight of the Queen out on a nearby balcony, gazing out on the city with the beauty of one such as only she could hold. Lancelot was unaware that he had been entranced by Guinevere's grace, the shined as bright as the sun…

It was almost a recreation of the beginning of an old tale of a Celtic knight that had gone on the run with his lord's fiancée. Almost…

* * *

-The Tower of Magi-

A resolutely clear clang beat across the empty room, sparks flying from the point where the forging hammer collided with the superheated weapon, ripples of Damascus style forging bending and curving into a macrocosm of patterns. Sweat beaded down Naruto's forehead while he used a wind Mystery to heat the forge to increasingly high temperatures that, if left unchecked, would reduce a god portion of the castle to slag.

The sound of the forge at work resounded through the room, as Naruto worked Clarent's grip into the tang of the blade. He looked to the glowing Lava Style: Rasenshuriken that formed the core of his forge, the rapidly spinning chakra construct's sunlike core held in place by numerous Bounded Fields being maintained by fast paced calculations running in his thought accelerated memory partitions. Dipping the blade once more into the crucible and wincing lightly at the heat, Naruto uncorked a vial of the White Dragon's blood and deposited it into the Rasenshuriken's core. He resisted the urge to grin when the molten core of his greatest attack shifted to a sanguine brilliance that cast great shadows across the wall behind him, instead watching in fascination as the motes of draconic magical energy that the vortex cast off were slowly drawn towards the blade and absorbed into the metal.

This process was repeated several times before Naruto withdrew the white-hot sword and smoothly quenched it in a vat of oil. Letting go of the handle to leave the process to work, Naruto slowly dialled down the power to the Rasenshuriken till it petered out and the workshop was quiet once more.

While it was still a ways off from being complete, Naruto wasn't going to take any shortcuts with this blade that Arturia asked him to forge as Caliburn's replacement. As he continued to work away, he heard a knock on the door, prompting Naruto to set the tools down, "Come in."

As the door opened up, it revealed Percival to be the one who was knocking, "Naruto, do you have a moment?"

Naruto saw that Percival seemed to have a little concern on his face, which meant something was wrong, "Sure, but what's the matter? Did something happen?"

"It's the King…" Percival began, "…she asked for you and for everyone to clear the throne room for you. She said that there was something that she wished to speak with you in private over." Percival always admired the King and her actions, and as such, there were times when he would spend with her to learn and better himself to ensure he could always be a knight worthy of such a King.

Naruto nodded as he quickly ditched the leather blacksmith's apron, "Of course, if she needs help or something, I'm always there for her." Leaving his work behind him for the time being, Naruto made his way through the halls to the throne room where Arturia was gazing out the windows over the city. Giving a brief look around the room to make sure that they were truly alone, Naruto spoke up, "Arturia…" The young girl-king turned to her secret lover with a small smile, "…Percival said that you wanted to talk with me privately. Was there something wrong?"

Arturia shook her head as she made her way over to meet with Naruto, "Not at all, Naruto. I just wanted to have a private moment with you." She took his hands as she stood on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his lips, one that he returned in kind, "We don't get to have these moments to ourselves very often, so I like to take every opportunity we can get to have tender moments like this."

Naruto understood well enough how things had been since the political wedding with their duties and appearances taking precedence over their secret relationship. As he held her close to him, he felt something different about his lover, "Arturia, your magical energy has shifted slightly."

"Well, I suppose even magical energy changing up would be a nice flip around, like a fashion statement, I suppose?" Arturia was trying to make a joke of the situation, though Naruto didn't find it as amusing as she was trying to make it. This was a deeply serious matter that needed to be addressed.

It was impossible for Arturia's body to change since she had taken possession of Avalon, the Fae artifact having stopped her ageing processes. Her Dragon Core always emitted the energy of the Red Dragon, with an added Holy attribute due to Merlin's meddling prior to her birth, and nothing would change that. Only now, he felt something more foreign. He couldn't put his finger on it exactly, but it evoked an old hazy memory from nearly a century ago.

It would take something with powers approaching that of a Divine Spirit for such a thing and he was sure that there was no Divine Spirits still on Britain's shores, only that perhaps there was some magical residue from Rhongomyniad since she last used it to summon the Wild Hunt. Was Rhongomyniad overpowering Avalon's influence? That shouldn't be possible since it rejected everything, including the Five True Magics themselves. Zelretch himself would have a difficult time overcoming the sheath _if_ he didn't play dirty that is.

But then again, he was the Kaleidoscope of all people, playing dirty was his specialty. Either way, this was all too troubling a matter not to address now.

Naruto's expression showcased his concern that must have been quite unsightly on Naruto's usually sunny features because Arturia lost her smile moments after seeing it, "Arturia, this isn't something to joke about. The fact that your Dragon Core changed even slightly, means something is beginning to overwrite your energy with something else."

Arturia blanched, her eyes conveying shock and an underlying disbelief. Not so much of what was happening to her but rather seeing Naruto become so serious. "Surely you jest, I mean I feel fine Naruto, better than ever." Arturia said, pumping her fist a few times to try and placate her paramour. She stopped moments later upon seeing that Naruto's face had not changed from its concerned frown.

"Physically you may not feel anything but what about your mind? Any feelings or compulsions to do things that you don't consider normal?" Naruto asked, holding Arturia by the shoulders.

"Please, Naruto, I'm sure this isn't of much concern-"

"Arturia!" the King looked up at Naruto with shocked green eyes at his sudden outburst, so different from what she was used to but deep in those large ruby red eyes, eyes that she could easily get lost in their vastness, she saw that he was concerned for her. Her cheeks gained a dusting of red at that, this closeness had been lacking in recent months and she guiltily relished it. "Tell me if you have seen or felt anything out of the ordinary, even if it was just a stray thought that didn't make sense. Please, this is important."

Arturia looked down briefly before she gazed back up to Naruto, "I… admit that I've been troubled by a dream I had of late. It was… dark, to say the least…" She had overworked herself at the Round Table last night, leaving her alone to have the dark dream.

Naruto could feel Arturia's shoulders shake at the mention of this dream. It was very rare for her to be unsettled by something like this, "What happened in this dream?"

* * *

_-A Vision of What Could Be-_

_Arturia found herself waking up within an alley, despite having been in the meeting room at the palace, "How did I get here?"_

_Sitting up against the wall, Arturia got up to make her way out of the alleyway only to find herself astonished at the sight: Camelot, far more substantial and grander than she ever thought possible. Buildings that scraped the sky, made of both metal and stone, with large banners hanging from the roofs and the people were all joyous with glee. Almost too much joy, as if there was no darkness for their light to illuminate; A sterile happiness that was coldly clinical. _

_Arturia continued to walk through the people that paid her no mind as if she were some invisible spectre, further out to a square from where she could see the walls of the capital standing higher than before, stronger than before, the guards manning the battlements little more than specs. She turned around to see that the palace was far grander than before, surpassing anything she had ever seen or dared to dream of, being a castle made entirely of marble that shined as bright as silver, reflecting the sun like a gleaming diamond jutting from the earth, into the heavens while the banners of Camelot fluttered in the wind._

"_It's all so beautiful…"_

_She felt someone bump into her and tried to apologize, "Oh, my apologies I…" However, she stopped before she took in the person's, or rather heavily armored knight's appearance. It was almost inhuman to be perceived as a protector of the people, as she gazed around her to see the citizens were in silent fear of the knights._

_They were massive, a legion of nine-foot-tall behemoths that were identical in their broad stature. Clad in thick steel plate that appeared to be a more intense version of Aruturia's combat gear save for the fact that It was for men, a black cape slung over their shoulders. Metallic grey with hints of gold circling each plate and lashed together by well worked brown straps. Each knight clasped a massive silver and blue kite shield on their right arm that was two thirds the knights' height. Their armament varied from large broadswords similar to Arondight to bows of two meters in length and even some two and a half meter long halberds with wide pike-like heads. _

_The most unsettling thing about the legion was their helm. A dome of thick silver steel shaped into the marriage of a Barbet and a Spartan hoplite. Unsettlingly it was sealed completely shut and bereft of eyeholes save a single cyclopean opening from which no light escaped. The hollow knights continued on to its previous destination, leaving Arturia to try and investigate further, only to suddenly find herself now standing outside what she believed to be the capital gates._

_Turning around to look above her as she saw that while this may seem like Camelot, it was not in the same place geographically. Gone were the green rolling hills and lush forests of Britain, replaced by a lifeless wasteland of tightly packed grey and brown packed earth that extended for dozens of miles in every direction broken up by the occasional giant crater, the parabolic spaces -each one ranging from half a mile to three miles in diameter- looked as if they had been struck by fallen stars. In the vast distance, Arturia could make out two differences. To the west stretched a seemingly infinite desert of yellow sand while to the north was a mountain range that she did not recognize._

_"W-what is this place? This is not Britain," Arturia stuttered before turning her eyes to the wall, some movement catching her attention. Around the walls had grown a shanty town of sorts formed of thousands of brown tents and rough wooden structures. The people walking amongst the city were obviously not British natives given the colour of their skin being far darker and features lending more to a desert people. She blinked when a mother and child passed her, the mother garbed in a flowing black robe that obscured all but her face._

**_"Citizens of the Holy Land! Form a line before the gates for the Lion King's Holy Selection is about to begin!" _**_a voice boomed from the very walls themselves startling Arturia to turn and look to the walls. A shock of red drew her eyes to the top of the main gatehouse where it merged into the curtain walls._

_Tristan stood at the edge, alongside hollow knights armed with bows and Tristan held Failnaught in his dominant hand with several arrows knocked into the bowstrings already. Feeling uneasy about the situation, she turned back out away from the main gates as she saw the unmistakable figure of Gawain, alongside several more of the hollow knights armed with halberds, shields and swords that stood taller than her nephew. He stood in front of several people, all of whom were in line with their families, with wagons stacked to the brim, and many others were all camped outside the gates in pitched tents. It was almost like a ghetto that she had seen up in the north as they moved through Vortigern's lands to eliminate any holdouts after his fall, along with spreading word that the people could rejoice at their newfound freedom._

_As Arturia made her way closer to Gawain, all she could make out what was being said over the swarm of voices was that they were asking, no begging… to be let into the capital city, that the ends of the world was bearing down upon them. Why? Arturia continued on before she stopped at the sight of Gawain raising Galatine and charging the blade up with the power of the sun… and swung down…_

"_NO!" Shock and horror came from her voice as her expression matched it, "GAWAIN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Arturia's legs kicked with all her might to reach out and stop Gawain from going through with his actions, only to find that every step shook to forward felt as if she was slogging through thick mud. She tried with every fiber of her being to stop this atrocity, only to shield herself from Galatine's immense heat as the fire that emanated from the blade overwhelmed her field of view._

_As Arturia stopped in her tracks, all she was carnage. The burnt corpses of the people begging to be let in, with the survivors trying to get up, only to be struck down by arrows from above, "TRISTAN, STOP THIS MADNESS!" She shouted up to the heavens as she turned around to see the archer knight having lowered his arm as he opened his eye barely for her to see the cold, unfeeling gaze as he merely looked at her as if she were questioning him._

"_Why? You ordered this, my King." Tristan stated as a fact._

_Arturia could only look at Tristan with confusion as horrified befuddlement spread across her face, "W-What did you say…?"_

"**_You ordered it to be."_**_ Arturia stood still as her blood ran cold from the voice… her voice, yet it held a reverberating grand tone. No that wasn't correct. It was as if another voice had joined her own, or was it the other way around?_

_As she turned to face the source of the words and saw herself donned in the same armor that she wore when they assaulted Vortigern, only there were a few stark differences. For one, this other self appeared much older, as if she had never taken Vivian's gifts on that night, appearing around her late twenties or so if she was to judge anything. The fur laced into the armor was also different, a white that fluttered in an absent wind. Her hair was much longer, including her more… upper area… was far more developed… However, it was those eyes. While they remained the same green as ever, golden light shone from her pupils like stars._

_This was a King who showed no mercy… no emotion… no sympathy. Only cold logic and understanding beyond what mere mortals could comprehend._

_A true goddess._

"_What do you mean, I ordered that?" Arturia rasped out in fear of the answer, before she built up the courage to yell at this person who sat on a throne that was beyond what any King should have, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT I ORDERED THAT?! I WOULD NEVER HAVE—" She was cut off by her older, divine counterpart._

"**_Yet you did."_**_ The divine Arturia gently lifted herself from the massive throne as she conjured up the lance, Rhonogmyniad. **"You, who seeks to perfect chivalry, to create a perfect nation upon this Earth, under the heavens as you strike down all who will threaten this utopia."** The spear began to emit light and unravel until a ring of golden magical glyphs began to orbit it while she ever so slowly made her way towards herself, **"This is the fate that awaits you, should you choose to continue down this path."** Before Arturia could even ask what path she was taking, she found her counterpart gone, reappearing before her with Rhongomyniad poised to impale her through the stomach; just as the holy lance was about to make contact, Arturia awoke from the dream that foretold a nightmare._

* * *

-Now-

As Arturia finished telling Naruto of the nightmare she had, the ninja held her close so he could feel the slight trembling of fear in her body. Arturia wrapped her arms around him as tight as she could, only to find herself hyperventilating the end of the story, "I'm afraid, Naruto." Arturia spoke as her voice held fear within her tone, "Afraid that whatever it is that she told me… will happen…"

"I won't let that happen…" Naruto said as he cupped her chin up to his view, "…you know that, Arturia." He brought his face down as they delved into a kiss before Arturia felt the same weightless sensation overcome her as they broke the kiss to find themselves out before a great lake in the countryside, "If the world should reject you then I shall reject the world, if what you fear is becoming a goddess then I shall become the devil. There is no world where I would let that come to pass so long as I love you. I will never go back on my word!" he stated as a solemn vow that boomed over the empty throne room.

They held each other for a time before Naruto's lips finally curled into a small smile, "But right now, let's do something to relax for a bit before we get back to it."

Arturia chuckled a bit in agreement, "You're right. Right now…" She kept hold of one hand as they went out to take a walk on the lake, "…let's enjoy the moment together for a bit."

* * *

-The Outskirts of Camelot-

Suffice to say that Agravain had become incensed by the Green Knight's lackadaisical approach to his responsibilities would be an understatement. All the undead knight had to do, was simple: Train and watch the weapon.

Simple an order as can be given to one's self.

Only it seemed that mother failed to instill responsibility to the Green Knight despite fettling his mental capabilities, and now the weapon was likely compromised, or would be in some form or fashion. So, that left Agravain to come up with a backup plan to kill the King, should the weapon be unable to do so when the time came. He knew that Arturia was blessed by the Fae, Vivian -his mother's polar opposite- and as such, he sought a way to ensure he could remove those blessings.

To this end he currently found himself speaking to a group of dirty looking workers at one of the few mines that supplied the capital with its raw materials. "I will need high-quality iron for some chains." Agravain told the lead miner he was speaking with. "The prison and interrogation facilities are rather lacking and I think some new iron could make for a good replenishment."

Upon returning from his "hunt", having left the Green Knight to pick up an arm that Agravain had severed in retribution, Agravain left the capital properly after finishing his secretary duties for the afternoon in order to start his contingency. So, he went to the local iron dig site, where he established it as a means to provide high-quality iron to ensure that they would have it for whatever structures they needed.

Even for chaining prisoners in the jailhouse and dungeons.

"Of course, Sir Agravain," The lead miner spoke up, "I can have the best sent directly to the palace if you would prefer, mi lord." The man knew well enough to recognize if a knight of King Arthur was before him, and merely wished to help him in whatever endeavor he was hoping to achieve. Surely it could only be something that would better their lands.

Agravain knew that if any excess iron was sent to the palace when it wasn't needed, and when no one really even had need of it, Naruto would no doubt start taking a far closer look at him. Something that Agravain didn't need on his back, "No, I will come to collect it for myself. It is a personal project that needs secrecy for the time being."

Cold Iron was a substance that would remove the blessings and protection that the Fae bestowed on those whom they deemed worthy, and the King no doubt had several blessings bestowed upon her by Vivian. The Fae were also allergic to it, just as werewolves to silver. His mother had not taught him much of Magecraft beyond a rough outline on Mystic Code creation and a little enchantment. If he could use the long process to create Cold Iron and combine it with enchantment to forge chains of Cold Iron to bind Arturia to remove the blessings.

The lead miner nodded, "I understand, mi lord."

Agravain shook the man's hand as he began to make his way back to the central keep with thoughts of how badly things could get if they didn't get the weapon back in time before significant damage would be done to it.

Or if it fell into the wrong hands.

"Damn you, Bertilak.

* * *

-Naruto-

"Now where the heck did they go?" Naruto was currently out in the stone streets of the capital looking for someone. After he and Arturia went out for a half an hour to clear her anxiety and worries over that dream she had, Naruto went back to work on Gareth's lance. But upon passing by his quarters to grab a few things, he had been stilled by another clone popping sending him memories of the same figure that was watching him beforehand ambling around the place. Unsure of who they were, Naruto felt it best to find and question them on why they were watching him.

He couldn't find them in the palace or anywhere on the palace grounds, so the only place they could be was in the city itself. He highly doubted they left the capital, otherwise whoever it was would not have made an effort to appear before his clones not once but twice in the space of several hours.

As Naruto walked through the streets with his hood up, he noted that a few people wave to him with smiles that didn't quite reach their eyes, he could see the same emotions within them just as the villagers once did after Orochimaru attacked the Leaf Village during the Chunin Exams: happiness with an underlying sense of unease.

"**_These people really need to not look a gift horse in the mouth…"_** Kurama piped up in slight annoyance, **_"…if it wasn't for you, over half of these things that make up the capital wouldn't even exist. They'd all still be in mud hovels and dirt roads smelling of horse crap."_**

'_It's alright. Distrust of the unknown is not new to me.'_ Naruto replied internally.

It was true that the inception of many ideas that were used in the construction of Camelot could be traced to what Naruto remembered of Konoha. Maybe a part of him wanted to try and continue it here in this new world after his first world became lost to him? Perhaps he wanted to recapture some sense of his homeland after nearly a century? Or maybe he simply wanted these people to have a better start in life as opposed to falling into the quagmire of filth and superstition that had torn apart many civilizations.

All in all, Naruto was alright with his situation. He may have stepped in as Merlin's shadow from time to time when the half-Incubus went on his walkabouts -charming women more like it-, but that didn't mean the people could recognize him as much as they did his teacher. Then again, he never caused flowers to spontaneously bloom in his presence as Merlin did, rather instead just choosing to wear the armor and robes that Arturia gifted him back on that day.

However, he would not deny that deep down in the hearts of man they would doubt and fear that which they did not understand. And red vampiric eyes didn't always make people feel at ease, given their reputation.

Naruto stilled upon spotting something out of the corner of his eye, turning quickly to see the little figure standing on their tiptoes looking into a toy shop front in a small alleyway off the main street, "There you are," he muttered to himself, slipping between the throng of people and using them as a cover to move into the alley with no discernible sound being emitted despite his armoured boots. Naruto made his way quietly behind the small figure who was garbed in a cloak of sorts on that concealed their facial features, though strands of blonde hair poked from the edge of the hood. "So…" Naruto said aloud causing the petite figure to turn towards him, "…whatcha doin' there, kiddo?"

Upon closer inspection, Naruto could see that it was definitely a child, the way they held themselves a dead giveaway. The kid was small, the tip of their covered head barely reaching four feet in height, a quick sniff told Naruto that this was a girl by her scent alone.

"Oh, uh, I uh…" The girl kept her face shadowed by her tattered cloak, but Naruto could sense a pulse of nervousness course through her when looking up at him. She dithered for a few seconds like a spooked deer before starting to twiddle her fingers in what appeared to be embarrassment, "…I just wanted to see what kind of toys the shop had. That's all."

Well, Naruto couldn't fault the kid for that really. Although for some reason, his senses were compelling him to investigate further, like some quiet voice was calling out to him from deep within, an old feeling that felt alien yet old as time itself. Nevertheless, he didn't want to come off as a demanding adult to them, memories of dismissive and angry villagers demanding him to do as they told him would never fade from his mind, "Why're you hiding your face from everyone? Are you just shy about it, or something?" He mentally face palmed at his glib comments, there was probably a better set of words to use.

Though the tyke didn't seem to register his apprehension because after a few seconds of thought she lifted her dainty hands to the hood and revealed themselves to Naruto, whose brain ground to a halt, caught as it was staring at this little girl, no older than six. She had a mane of messy golden blonde locks that framed her rounded face like a lion's mane, odd spikes of hair jutting off at random angles in defiance of gravity and common sense. Her face... oh her face… creamy white skin like virgin snow made up a soft-looking face, her forehead partially obscured by a fringe coming in from both sides of her head, drawing his attention squarely to the two perfectly cut emeralds that were her eyes, filled with mirth and childish curiosity. The tip of a single canine snuck out from beneath her top lip, like looking down into the face of a smiling lion cub.

What brought Naruto up to a complete, earth-shattering stop was the two solitary black lines stretching across each cheek, like the whisker marks that he bore.

For clothing, the little tyke wore a black tunic and shorts fastened together with a red and gold belt and small worn brown ankle boots. A tomboyish red and gold bolero jacket was worn from the clavicle up, but her shoulders and arms were obscured by the ankle-length hooded brown travelling cloak wrapped around her shoulders.

"**_...This is impossible." _**Kurama commented, his usual booming voice replaced with a soft burble.

Naruto was too caught up in the young girl's appearance to respond to Kurama's own shock. It took him a few scant moments to collect his thoughts enough to ask the Biju something, _"Kurama, can you?" _he did not even know what to ask his friend. _"Is-is this real? Did I pass out while forging Clarent?"_

"**_No, this is very real, partner. She isn't producing any kind of chakra but,"_** Kurama took a bit to focus more intently on the little girl's power source, and that was to only find familiarity with the energy, **_"…her power is dragon based."_** Too many thoughts were racing through his head right now to really focus on those things.

Right now, the best way to proceed forward with this situation is to play it by ear and discover the truth that he may already know, just from looking at this little girl…

Pulling off his own hood, Naruto revealed his red eyes, bracing himself for her inevitable cower of fear at the inhuman trait as many people had through the years, but the girl didn't show an ounce of fear at the sight, but instead, emerald eyes glowed with awe and curiosity, "Wow… rubies…"

Naruto paused, a pit forming in his stomach that was quickly filled with a feeling he could not place, "You're not afraid of them?"

The girl merely jumped lightly on her heels with eyes brimming in excitement, "No way! They're so cool looking and pretty!"

Well, at least she wouldn't run from him like some kids would, "So who are you if it's alright to ask? What're you doing in the city on your own? Don't you have any parents?"

The girl seemed to freeze for a second before she looked to the edge of the empty alley and then back to Naruto, "My name's Mordred, but… I don't have any parents." The little girl now named Mordred looked behind her briefly to see if someone was there, which made Naruto wonder if maybe she was a runaway, "I wanted to see the city and the castle after I got away from the boogieman…" Mordred rubbed her right arm reflexivly as if soothing it from some pain, to which Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly before they returned to normal, "…he hurts me sometimes. And none of the other kids would play with me 'cause of my whiskers."

The memory of the lone swing at the academy entered Naruto's mind; the pain of being alone, with no one to spend time with was something he knew all too well. That settled things for him, "Well if the other kids I the city won't spend time with you…" Naruto stood up to his full height as the young Mordred looked up to him, "…then, I'll spend time with you." He held his hand out for little Mordred to take, "So, what do you say, Little Mo? Think this old man can play with you?"

Naruto's little name for Mordred didn't seem to affect her much as her expression broke out into one of pure joy, "YEAH!" The happiness of a child always brought a smile to his face, as Mordred took his hand as tight as she could.

"Well…" Naruto lifted her up into his arms as he held her before him, her little legs dangling and kicking back and forth like she was treading water, although Naruto noted that she was far too light for a child her age, "…let me give you a tour of Camelot, Little Mo."

Mordred pouted at being held in such a way, kicking her legs out a little more with surprising strength until she wrestled out of his grip and climbed up behind his head, slinging her feet out till they rested on either side of his neck and rested her head atop his own.

"Giddy up!"

A chuckle began to emerge from Naruto's chest that grew stronger and more bombastic with each passing moment. This girl had spirit! "As the great knight commands!" he proclaimed loudly, drawing a yip of delight from the little girl riding upon his shoulders before an exertion of his powerful legs blasted the pair off into the streets of Camelot.

As the day went on, Naruto took Mordred to a variety of child-friendly places in Camelot and even got her a sweet treat from the local candy shop. It was not much compared to the ice creams and sugary delights of Konoha, but a well-made treacle tart was never amiss when he had felt a craving for confectionery. It seemed that Mordred was of the same mind as her noble steed because the site of the shop keepers gawping at the ninth such tart disappearing down the little girl's throat had been enough to make Naruto double over with laughter.

After a detour to a small park in Camelot's northern quarter, they came to the food market as various chef's and vendors sold food, all made from different exquisite meals from the different lands that traveled across Europa and through Britain. Naruto held Mordred close to him as he guided them through the crowd of people all preparing to order or dine on their food, "Stay close. Little Mo."

"Alright."

As Naruto approached a vendor and began ordering some more substantial food for him and Mordred, the impossible girl's attention began wandering around the food market, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the people around her with wonder, amazement and awe. People of all walks of life made their way around the market. Nobles furnished in their expensive threads and dublets walking with their contingent of retainers, bartering deals with merchants to stock their pantries for the next month. Men and women haggling with the sellers heatedly while children ran and played at their mother's skirts. All the time the city guard watched on silently, their patterned jerkins and helmets worn with pride. They were King's men, doing the King's work.

Although there was one sight that Mordred caught sight of something that would be forever ingrained into her little innocent mind, "Here you go, sweetie." The view of a mother handing her child a plate of food as they sat down on a nearby concrete structure, "Thank you, mommy!" The child replied with a sweet smile, giggling when his mother ruffled his hair good-naturedly.

For Mordred, it set a precedent that stood in stark contrast to what she was used to in regards to something. That a mother was one who provided nurturing to their child, something she was not used to yet craved.

"Here ya go, Little Mo."

Mordred turned to Naruto to see him handing her a leg of mutton for her, she took a deep whiff of the roasted meat and salivated openly at the wondrous scent. She looked up at Naruto, for the first time her eyes showing some level of trepidation, "This is for me?"

Naruto nodded, "Yup. Every growing tyke needs to eat healthy food."

As Mordred took the mutton from Naruto, a bright smile rose up, "Thank you, mommy!" She sank her teeth into the mutton and tore away at it like a famished lion fresh off the hunt, eyes honed exclusively on the meat before her and not watching Naruto's face twist. A myriad of emotions were apparent on Naruto's face, changing between them at such a rate that no one observing him would be able to pin down the overarching mood, but eventually, it settled upon a singular smile. Acceptance.

His heart swelled hearing her words, misused as they may be, but he wasn't about to argue pronoun use with a six-year-old. But he wasn't going to complain, certainly not with this lion cub. Naruto just chuckled at her words and actions as mutton was stripped clean from the bone in a matter of seconds, almost like Periwinkle used to when he was younger whenever he or Arturia would deliver him a nice slice of beef or pork to gorge on, "No problem, Little Mo."

Their adventure would proceed for many more hours where he put the mystery of the girl's origin out of his mind, content to give her a day of bliss and bask in innocent laughter that only one unaware of the evils of the world could produce.

As the sun began to set, Naruto and the little Mordred were out by the edge of the city near one of the main gates as some people were leaving the city to head back to their homes beyond the walls, guarded by several patrolmen at night. It was here that Naruto held Mordred's hand as the duo continued on with the sightseeing of Camelot, while Mordred held in her other hand a wooden carving of a lion; much like the one that Arturia still held from her own childhood that Kay made for her, even if it was more like a dog than a lion.

"Thank you for the toy lion, mommy." Mordred cradled the wooden toy as if it were her most precious possession.

Naruto ruffled her already wild hair a bit as he nodded, "You're welcome, Little Mo."

Mordred got a little agitated by his nickname for her, "I'm not little!"

Oh, now he couldn't pass this up, "Of course, you are."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am—!" Mordred stopped abruptly as she briefly caught sight of Agravain walking through the streets. Eyes lighting up with recognition that quickly morphed into fear and terror.

Mordred didn't like him, but she liked Naruto, and she wanted to spend more time with him, but she needed to get away before the bad men came for her like this. With that in mind, there was only one thing she could do, "I-I'm sorry, but I gotta go now."

Naruto grew confused at Mordred's words, and was about to ask why, until she spoke up again, "But, you gotta promise that we can do this again, ok?" Her smile beamed as bright as the sun, appearing like Arturia did every time she gave him that smile that only he received.

Naruto bent down to Mordred's level as he held out his right pinky for her, "I pinky promise, you Little Mo."

Mordred cocked her head to the side… in the same way that Arturia did once before when he asked her out on their first date together. It was all too adorable and suspicious, but he ignored that with answering the little girl, "A pinky promise? Does that mean a lot?"

"I suppose it does between a mother and his lion cub." Naruto indulged her, a serenity taking him to the edges of Nirvana because for that infinitesimally short time that this little girl -an impossible girl that he dare not question for fear she would slip away like a dream come morning- looked up at him, all was right in the world.

Mordred smiled as she brought up her opposite hand and interlocked it with Naruto's, creating a unique bond between the two that would change things for the both of them, "Ok! I'll see ya later, mommy!" And with that, Mordred turned away as she rushed off into the crowd as Naruto stood back up to keep an eye on her.

He spotted Agravain off to the side, heading back to the castle with haste that one would expect of a busy secretary… then again, Naruto didn't exactly trust the man just from the way he presented and spoke of things, but he had yet to prove he was a threat to Arturia and Camelot. So, Naruto kept his attention on Mordred as she waded through the ever-decreasing crowd as people left through the city wall and one of his Bounded Fields only thing though…

"What the hell is going on here…?"

Mordred didn't trip it.

That wasn't possible.

The Bounded Fields that surrounded the palace, the city and the nearby fields that he had up as a security measure ever since the capital's construction were all keyed to his blood. He could always feel the people coming in and out of the fields, especially those he was close to.

He knew that Agravain had left the city but not beyond the outer third field and knew that a few of the Round Table had gone into the city on occasion for whatever reasons they had. Even if Arturia had left the palace, he would be aware, having become so familiar with her presence and signature.

"I need to know the truth…" Naruto muttered to himself as he turned back to the palace as he threw his hood back up. He would find out who Mordred truly was in the future. Kurama seemed to be reading his mind and decided to keep the name ongoing, **_"That's what mothers do."_**

That comment seemed to bring a small smile to Naruto as he continued on back to his room, with a whole new set of thoughts in his mind that if proven right, maybe something to represent the bond between he and Arturia.

* * *

-Morgan's Lair-

"Good grief, Mordred. You should have known better than to run away from your teacher." Mordred drawled condescendingly, snapping her fingers. Her shadowy figure was illuminated by a dark purple flash and ears soon filled with the muffled screams of a child in pain. "That's good, I want you to scream, pain is weakness leaving the body after all, and you must have no weakness." Though veiled, her cold green eyes filled with mirth and perverse joy at watching her weapon twitch and roil unnaturally in the grips of her agonizing mystery.

After a day of searching the outlying forests, Mordred was picked back up by the Green Knight. And while the undead man wanted to punish her for running off on her own, Morgan had something else in mind for her. Even now the undead sat off to the side, taking a whetstone to his axe in slow, deliberate strokes; he absentmindedly picked at the roots that reached the arm that Agravain had severed, all the while watching the oncoming punishment, "While I am glad that you were able to slip into Camelot with such ease…" Morgan spoke as she traced her finger along several vials of strange substances that gave off an eerie glow.

Currently, they were in her primary workshop, where Morgan stored her various projects, experiments and other dark texts, tomes as well as remains of creatures that were to be considered of hostile nature. She had them pacified through fear by her very presence alone.

The wooden lion that Naruto had given to her was ripped from her grip by a tendril of blackened magical energy, tossing it to the Green Knight for his own usage. True to his brutal form, he decided to smash it under his heel, with Mordred yelling out to him in confusion and despair that the only gift she had ever been given being reduced to sawdust.

Morgan summoned forth chains that strung the young girl up and with cold detachment, she had forced a horse's bit onto her mouth, to hold her tongue. Tears were building up as Mordred struggled in vain to try and break free of her restraints but found herself unable to do so, all the while Morgan continued on, "…you disobeyed my stringent orders. You were to not leave Bertilak's side."

Morgan took one of the vials and uncorked it with a foreboding pop before letting the contents drip into her pale hand. Placing the vial back on the shelf, the black witch rubbed her hands together before she brought forth red lightning that sparked out from between her palms, and with no warning, she thrust it towards the terrified little girl.

The impossible child tried to scream in pain as she the lighting coursed through her sending unimaginable suffering throughout her entire body, only for the bit to hold it back as the full tears fell from her eyes. She could only wiggle her body to try and alleviate the pain, but it was for nought. Morgan was accelerating her growth to ensure she could speed up the process for when the time was right to strike at Camelot; all of this was for the throne that was rightfully hers from birth.

The lightning continued on for hours as Bertilak left to bring something back to his mistress. Mordred's pain subsided briefly before she delved into her own thoughts as Bertilak brought Morgan a horned silver helmet that would conceal one's identity. A little something to throw people off from her true heritage. Morgan left to attend to this matter as Mordred could only look at the woman with confusion, pain, and hate.

Morgan was the one that had given her life. She was supposed to be her mother. So why put her in such pain? Why would she do this? The pain lingered on as her body smoked muscles straining against a forced shift in her chafed arms and bloodshot eyes, and all she could do was think of the smiling face of Naruto.

He was more of a mother to her than the witch was… Morgan le Fay was no mother of hers… that was reserved for the one who nurtured her.

_'You're not my mommy, but I know who is…'_

* * *

-The Royal Palace-

As another week drew to a close, Lancelot had sent the trainees back to their barracks for the day, informing them that tomorrow they would resume. Now he had removed his gear to head up to the balcony Guinevere had been seen gazing out into the city for hours, unsure if she was alright. Lancelot came up behind her as he called out to the Queen, "My Queen, are you alright?" Guinevere turned to see Lancelot as she held a seemingly bored expression on her face. No doubt in due to the lie she was forced to keep from the populace, "You seemed…" Lancelot struggled to find the right words to say, "…off, today. Is there something wrong?"

Perhaps it was her own natural beauty that he had been enraptured at that moment a few days prior, though as his duty as a knight to Arturia, he felt obligated to ensure not just her own well being, but all of those of the inner circle, and even his fellow knights. Those in the army, the guardsmen, even the trainees. Tristan himself appeared to be in some form of conflict, yet he could not divulge an answer to the Knight of the Lake, which only made his desire to see the Queen greater than before with her own state.

Guinevere waved a placating hand to Lancelot as she turned back out to the city that became aglow with evening merriment with the bustle of taverns lighting up, patrolmen with their lanterns wading through the stone streets, "Oh, it's nothing, Sir Lancelot." She took a deep breath in before she continued, something that Lancelot knew was a sign of stress settling in, "Just, merely contemplating on where my life has gone, nothing more."

Lancelot understood that she had accepted the position to help keep Camelot together with Arturia, knowing full well that she was likely thinking on the King, "I know that things may seem difficult with the King, but she means well with everyone. She cares for all of those that serve under and beside her." The times where she would strike up a conversation flashed through his mind with wanting to ensure that he, as well as the other knights of the army were in high spirits.

The Queen turned back to Lancelot with her eyes showing interest in the subject of the King's treatment of those around her, "I know that." Guinevere glanced off to the side before focusing back to Lancelot as she leaned onto the right of the balcony to relax a bit, "Arturia treats me well, and she does not give any reason or sign that she dislikes me, however…" She touched the circlet at her forehead for a brief moment before she stopped to continue, "…the way she treats me in public. I can see that it is hollow. Enough to fool the mob, but I can see that it is hurting her within." For one as just and kind as Arturia is, all Guinevere could do is wonder why she torments herself with a false marriage.

Lancelot nodded as he understood well where Guinevere was coming from. Before coming to Britain, Lancelot believed that rulers would cast aside that which caused them pain, but upon meeting Arturia, he learned that not all did as such, and it was a necessary thing at times, though he felt that she was in a trap of man's making with the laws and customs of their civilization.

Damn the one who said women couldn't be strong leaders on their own.

"The King endures her emotions as she always has in the past." Lancelot looked over his shoulder to see that no one was around before deciding to open up a bit on the past to try and help Guinevere understand Arturia more so to help her. It was likely that the King did not fully entrust her with the past, which he understood why, since Guinevere was still fairly new in a sense to the inner circle that had liberated Britain from the threats she faced before, "In times when I myself was filled with such rage at the treatment of the people of Britain, from the foreign invaders to the tyrant Vortigern, the King always held her ground in her emotions to remain steady to act."

"Never once has she allowed her emotions to cloud her judgment in the pursuit of the perfect Kingdom that history would look back on with kindness."

Guinevere seemed to disagree a bit with her next set of words, "Yet her pursuit of perfection becomes too much for those around her, even yourself to bear."

Lancelot didn't seem to acknowledge her words, whether he believed them or not was irrelevant. Even if she were to pass on Camelot to a possible heir, her dream would continue to build and strive for that perfected kingdom for all to prosper under, "I admit perhaps for some of us, it is too much, although our resident Apostle does not believe it as such. He admires her far more than anyone else, with kinship unlike the rest of us." Lancelot looked down while he lowered his voice as he spoke the last sentence, "His heart was captured by her, and she in turn."

Lancelot's eyes bugged out upon just realizing what he had let slip. Turning back up to Guinevere, her own eyes were wide in not shock, but realization, "It makes sense to me now…"

They were in love with one another. She couldn't see it until now, yet in hindsight, it made perfect sense. Naruto was always close to Arturia, more so than anyone else, including the rest of the inner circle. She had allowed him to do more than what a retainer would be able to do with their King. His lack of presence at the wedding, coupled with the red eyes he had as he came back to the palace that night was his way of coping with the situation.

The marriage forbade them from ever being with one another, indeed as husband and wife. The blow both took from this situation wounded their hearts, thus creating an illusion of a king and her retainer.

Guinevere closed her eyes as she shook her head, "Their own feelings have begun to fester into something putrid." She looked back to Lancelot, who glanced off to the side in shame and embarrassment at his slip of the tongue. Guinevere decided that she needed to do something more to help in easing this burden on their shoulders, "Sir Lancelot…"

Lancelot brought his attention to Guinevere as he could see the beauty she held, "Yes, my Queen?"

"I ask this not just as the Queen, but as one who cares for the people, and those who serve the Kingdom of Camelot. Please, help me ease the burden upon their shoulders; our King and the one she loves."

Lancelot understood full well what she was asking of him. Even though the marriage was just a show to the people to see a true King and Queen at the helm of the country, Arturia's mind and emotions were being chained down from being able to express herself as the young girl that loved the vampire, whom was far more human than most men he had ever known. Despite her position as the Queen with many assuming she had no real power, Guinevere still held it and influence to do something to help ensure that Camelot would function. This would mean she could take several duties from Arturia to allow her and Naruto to spend the time they wished to have with one another, as Lancelot knew full well that they would sneak off at times to do so with Naruto taking her place at times with a disguised duplicate that was reasonably accurate.

Well, if this would protect those close to him, then he would accept the Queen's request regardless. Lancelot took a knee as he gazed up to Guinevere, where the moonlight shone down upon her like angel, framing her in its silver grace, "If it is to protect that which I hold dear and close to my heart, be they my friends, my family, or my Kingdom, then there is no depth… no length that I will not go to preserve it all. On my honor as a knight to you, and our good King, this I swear to you." Lancelot lowered his head one last time as Guinevere brought her hand down to brush the hair out from his face as she gave him a heartfelt smile.

"You know, I think that you would look handsome if you grew your hair out, Sir Lancelot."

Lancelot raised his head to see Guinevere beginning to chuckle, a small laugh beginning between them to which he found that he too was laughing late into the night.

"Heh, perhaps I should."

* * *

_Musings of a Wizard Marshal_

_By K.Z.S._

_In my long and rather amusing life I have come across a few things that I find absolutely abhorrent beyond compare and while it would take far more pages than this notebook has to offer to explain them. But, to mention three off the top of my head it would be as follows: The destruction of the omniversal bar because Funny Valentine got into an argument with one of the many aspects of Yog Sothoth, the existence of Crocks as a form of shoes and the Quantum Time Lock. To avoid a lecture, I will simply say this, Gaia is a fickle bitch because depending on the dimension she will operate under different rules. And one consistent rule upon THIS particular world is the Quantum Time Lock._

_Essentially on this reality, "Parallel Worlds" have a conceptual weight to them and the Counter Force will select a choice number of "mainline" worlds that are allowed to progress within the Greater History of Man but if these worlds were to spawn infinitely in all different directions based upon every choice ever made than eventually the conceptual weight will eventually crush the base that all of the worlds stand upon. To avert this the Counter Force will place a QTM within the timestream once every 100 years at key moments in history. Their presence will also shift the causality of adjacent worlds so that events play out in a similar way. And if a world should stray too far from the path it will be culled, and its energy used to reinforce the base. _

_Once in place it becomes impossible to change the locked moment, even if time travel or a certain Omnipotent Wish Granting Machine were to be used. You may be able to change the input and process, but the "outcome" will always remain the same. _

_But indulge me to wonder, what if a person was made aware of the QTM and after one formed and given 100 years to plan on how he would guide the world? You can wonder... I on the other hand, can watch._

* * *

**_Well, this chapter took a little longer than I originally thought. Now we have Mordred introduced along with other new things primed to set the powder keg off later down the line._**

**_Now, the Glory section of the Camelot act will be expanded on with two additional chapters, leading to the Fall and Ashes of Camelot chapters later, that will bring the Legend of Camelot act to an end, with leading into the Naruto's time in the Nasuverse up until the events of Fate/Zero._**

**_Anyways, I have a Bleach fic of course if anyone has chosen to read it, is going through a massive rewrite with bringing in some things from TYPE-MOON and rewritten up a bit to have them fit within the Bleach-verse, and of course the pairing will be one of a kind as I've noticed that there isn't one of this unique pairing to which all I can say is be prepared to be amazed._**

**_So, please tell me what you guys think of the new chapter, what you liked and/or disliked about it and the story thus far, along with reading through my PM's that I send to respond to you guys. They have the answers to all of the questions and concerns you may or may not have for the story._**

**_Continue to read, review, favorite and follow this story as well as my others :)_**


	10. Chapter 9: The Glory of Camelot Part III

**_Another new chapter! Yah! Well, I'm glad that people enjoyed the last one, though I wish you guys would go more into detail about what you guys liked and/or disliked about new chapters when they're posted, it makes my day and helps me become a better writer further on down the line. More importantly, we passed 400 reviews on this story which is another milestone in what is becoming a favourite story of mine to update. COVID being the dispassionate viral blight that it is is responsible for the writing of this chapter being delayed and thus I apologize for the wait. _**

**_Anyways, I'm surprised no one mentioned the Oath Under Snow reference, or talked too much about the Lion King nightmare, other than just going all adorbs over Little Mo and Naruto's time together which is fine and all, but hey, to each their own._**

**_Seeing as I've been tinkering with Morgan's abilities, please, if anyone knows of a great Black Speech translator from LOTR, please tell me as I've been wracking my head on how to write some things down in it. I was able to put some sentences together through some translators, both canon and a single fan-made one, but it doesn't feel right to me. If anyone can help me out with such a problem, I would be grateful._**

**_In TYPE-MOON news, they began the Fate/Type Redline manga not too long ago, and I freakin' love it! It is now the age of Okita! Or so she says at the end of the first chapter in the fan translation. But yes, Okita, Nobu and some of those from the GUDAGUDA events are finally getting their first serious storyline as it's a complete rewrite of the KOHA-ACE spoof manga. Thus we get new characters, and full-blown Grail War set two years after the Third Fuyuki Grail War in the Imperial Capital during World War II. Seriously, go hunt it down online and read it, you won't be disappointed! I might incorporate some elements from it into this story, though I'm not saying for certain ;) !_**

**_In slightly depressing news, the Camelot movies have been postponed due to COVID as well as several FGO events and a range of other things, though at least Spring Song is coming out in August now. Though I was never a fan of Heaven's Feel in general_**

**_I recently found out that there's a bug in FF's system that no longer sends notifications to alert anyone of receiving PM's so now we have to check things by going to our profiles._**

**_Now, on with the new chapter!_**

* * *

Chapter 9 – The Glory of Camelot Part III

-Fall 477 AD, Camelot-

With the falling of grains within the great hourglass known as time, the months and years crawled forwards into the fourth quarter of the century; as autumn leaves began to fall and dance in the wind that accompanied the autumn. Despite the senescence of the year of our lord 477 sinking its fangs into the flora of Britain, the capital city could not have been more alive, the burble of commerce and general contentedness permeating the city's high curtain walls. Absolute Kingship, perfect organization and perfect strength, this trifecta of feudal governance had made Camelot's lands, and peoples flourish. Several dozen new structures had been added in those intervening years using both magical and mundane means; a few children were running towards one such a new construction in the city, being the Grand Arena.

Its construction began right around the same time the other major buildings within the capital city, though given its nature as entertainment it was a secondary priority, it wasn't vital to the city's prosperity; a complement to enjoyment perhaps but not a necessity. Though upon its completion, thousands of people were able to sit in the arena with it being modeled after the various ancient amphitheater's from Rome and Greece. Due to the simplicity of their designs and while Naruto was by no means an architect, he had contributed his memories of the Chunin exams stadium of yore.

The overall results of construction created Britain's very own version of the Flavian Amphitheater. While not quite as tall as the Roman's grand Colosseum, it traded it for width to allow more people in to sit and watch the events that took place within, it also served as a rallying point for citizens in case Camelot ever came under siege. The overall area was divided up into four quadrants where various events could be held; a pie-slice shaped 1.32-acre land that held certain features such as trees and small ponds to break up the grass plain; grown by Merlin's magecraft at the behest of Naruto's memories. The separating walls served as an extension of the stands from which watchers could stand atop and could be retracted to give certain areas more space for an event.

Today, for example, the west cardinal wall had been pulled back into the central pillar to allow more space to the jousting setup, the primary component being the royal pavilion where the King, Queen and Court Magus resided able to observe all four areas at their discretion. It was a marvel of mechanization that Naruto had built and been installed by Roman architects that had settled in Britain fleeing Tiberius' ever-deteriorating rule. Today was the day that the King decided to hold Britain's Grand Tourney in celebration of the anniversary of Vortigern's defeat four years ago, with the Melee and the Joust as the main attractions coupled with an Archery Competition that the masses flocked to see.

On a more amusing note, the excess space in the Jousting half had been co-opted with tents for drinking and eating competitions that the King and Sir Kay had insisted upon, some might say demanded.

The foster siblings' fondness for their respective vices was showcased in their additions. Arturia's love for food, well, more so food made by Naruto, and the heir to Ector's lust for booze. Casks of wine, spirits and even concoctions from the orient could be found being served to the rowdy clientele from noble lords to village drunks. Suffice to say the usual mead they were used to in the country didn't sit well with many of the higher circles of aristocracy that gravitated to the capital.

In the Royal Pavilion, which was shielded from the sun by a pyramidal top made of blue fabric, Naruto stood alongside Arturia. At the same time, she sat upon a high-backed oak chair styled after a lion and dragon with plush upholstery in blue. Alongside her was a chair slightly smaller than hers though no less plush, where Guinevere sat in repose as the Queen in silence as the King and Court Mage Stand-in spoke to one another; with the massive gathering of the people talking amongst themselves coupled with the various events overshadowing their conversation with one another.

Down below in one of the sectioned off quadrants of the arena, Lancelot was currently dueling against another knight from Britain as the final of the Melle that had started off as a sortie of twenty enlisted knights -including Lancelot- with another twenty wandering knights from various baronies and principalities hailing from all over Britain seeking glory in the eyes of the King. Ten aspiring peasants had also joined the melee to make up the numbers though once it had commenced, they had quickly been whittled down and escorted off the field. After twenty-five long minutes of clashing steel and splintered shields, there were not but two left, Lancelot and an older knight by the name of Gael.

"The years have done wonders for your swordplay, Lancelot, I had feared all the mystical whiles of the King of Knights had whittled away your mastery of arms!" Gael shouted, bringing down his greatsword, nicked and dented with decades of use. The Knight of the Lake was a peerless knight eclipsed in raw technical bladework and strength by Arturia and Gawain while the sun was up alone, but Gael was no slouch by any means. Pushing forty-seven with a somewhat scraggly grey beard, a lifetime of war and tourneys had forged a body of steel and will of iron.

Lancelot met the weathered greatsword with a right-handed upward slash from the springsteel longsword he currently wielded, choosing not to use Arondight out of a chivalrous fair play, something he regretted moments later. The greatsword exerted a monstrous amount of raw pressure onto the sword in Lancelot's hand that he feared the blade would snap. _'As much as a monster as I remember!' _he thought, using a snap decision to redirect the large blade into the dirt as opposed to a blade lock. Stepping into Gael's personal space, the Frankish knight brought his armored knee up into the red garbed knight's codpiece.

Gael let out a grunt of pain and withdrew to a safe distance in a deft movement that was surprising for his age. He took a moment to reevaluate Lancelot's form with a smile on his face, something the Knight of the Lake returned. It turns out the two were close comrades from many battles fought together at King Ban's order, and the older Knight had come to Camelot seeking a friendly duel to see how the other had fared in the years apart.

Lancelot squared his shoulders to take his measure of Gael, maintaining a firm two-handed grip in the handle on his sword. "Haven't seen you sweat so much since that debacle in Burgundy 11 years ago, you only had stubble back then." Lancelot retorted, dropping his stance before launching forwards in a blur of movement intent on using speed against the older knight to overcome the disparity in sword might. However, the red knight's greatsword was as good as defence as it was an offence, sweeping strikes and devastating thrusts causing Lancelot to work to get in any damage.

Spring steel and rusted carbon steel sparked and crashed, deluges of sparks from every collision whipping the crowd into a frenzy like the gladiatorial games of old, both men smiling all the while. The rapturous battle and crowd reveled in one voice and cried out in blood pumping ecstasy, 'Cry, oh Havoc, and let slip the Dogs of War!' A crushing helmsplitter from Lancelot crashed down on the edge of the rusted greatsword, putting yet another crack in the decrepit yet mighty blade, his face a vision of excited exertion, ripping back and laying hit after hit upon the same spot to wear down the beastly opponent's potent defense. Gael weather it like a mountain in the face of a typhoon, his mouth, obscured partially by his beard, opened in a bellow of advance. Leaping into the air and lunging forwards as a beast would bury the tip of the sword where Lancelot had been standing had he not sidestepped.

In the King's throne, Arturia watched the clash with great interest. She was proud of her Knight who over the years she would say was the most well-rounded fighter in the entire Round Table though she had to confess her interest in the other knight. "The red hooded knight takes your eye, my King?" She looked up, startled by Naruto's words yet quickly nodding upon seeing the amused red eyes shining from under his Shadow's hood.

"Indeed, there are few knights that can compete with Sir Lancelot in a melee without magical assistance, and of them, none are little known, what can you tell me of him?" Arturia asked her lover with interest, her eyes going back to the battle when the crowd let out another roar of approval.

Naruto nodded, he knew, of course, many of those arrived to take part in the tourney had been vetted by his spies to ascertain if they were a threat to the capital or Arturia. Internally he griped to Kurama about how Agravain, the hook-nosed bastard, had been politically maneuvering to have his spy network reduced in funding but gave Arturia her information with a smile. "Yes, an odd fellow, known simply as 'Slave Knight Gael', a wandering knight who has been walking battlefields for many years now,"

"Slave Knight?" Arturia questioned the title with a shadow of concern in her voice's inflection; slavery was something that she deplored and had worked to eradicate from the land so hearing it as a defining word of such a knight did not sit well with her. It was why human trafficking was an offence punishable by death under Camelot's legal system, to sell your fellow man into bondage was something her sister would find appealing, and Arturia was not her sister.

Naruto waved his hand in placation, assuaging Arturia's concerns quickly, "From what I have heard the term is a mocking endearment, he only ever takes the smallest amount of payment from those that employ him. A Pontiff in Constantinople said that he might as well be a slave for selling his work so cheaply, the name stuck." he explained, taking a sip of water from a nearby table before offering it to Arturia, she waved him on to continue. "He has apparently traveled wide and far, stories from him range from the heart of Europe defending a young girl who just wanted to paint a painting to dueling Mongol horse lords in the steps."

Arturia nodded enthused, seeing aspects of the late Ector in this Gael, the eternal will to push yourself to be just even long after most knights would have hung up their swords. "Fear an old man in a profession where they die young, eh?" She asked rhetorically, drawing nods both Naruto and Guinevere. They continued to watch the battle bellow, seeing Gael use a feint to bring the Round Table Knight in close before turning on his heel to send his red mantle into Lancelot's face and used the brief break in combat to disarm the Frenchman, the springsteel blade spinning away and digging into the ground.

So invested were all the watchers that none saw the Queen's fingers dig into the arm wrests of her seat, worry playing across her beautiful eyes when she looked upon the Knight and his lack of protection.

Lancelot jumped backwards, partially shocked the underhanded tactic yet respecting it, all the same, Gael had always been an innovative and unorthodox fighter that made up for his lack of inherent skill with guile and beastly follow-ups. Simultaneously running over options in how to bring this battle to a concise ending, his purple eyes spotted a loose yet thick tree branch on one of the nearby trees hanging low. Dodging a few arching slashes from the Slave Knight, Lancelot maneuvered towards the tree before crouching low when he recognized Gael was going to make one of his beastly advances. "Raaaagh!" Gael roared, a chaotic lunge sending the blade straight for Lancelot; however, the latter knight jumped from his crouched position, snatching the branch from the tree before bringing it down on the crack he had made earlier with all of his might.

The blunt force thwack against the crack of the blade sent reverberations through the rusted sword that widened all the existing cracks before, with a crunching 'TWANG' the blade shattered. Lancelot du Lac had just one a duel using nothing more than a stick. The crowd erupted into almost insane levels of cheering at the climax of this chivalrous combat spectacle, the Slave Knight rising to his full height and staring down at what was left of his sword blankly before tossing it at Lancelot's feet. "Goodness, you have grown Lancelot, no longer Ban's boy frolicking with lake fae, you're a true Knight of Owner now!" he proclaimed in a voice that was both bombastic yet soft.

Lancelot shouldered his tree branch, his slightly longer hair swaying around his face as he approached Gael before clapping him on the back good-naturedly. "Don't sell yourself short, old man, age has not dulled your skills one bit." He congratulated, lifting the man's arm into the air so they could both receive the standing ovation from all spectators, even the King rising from her seat to congratulate both. And he noticed, perhaps refusing to acknowledge it yet noticed all the same, that the Queen clapped for him most of all…

* * *

In the South Eastern Quadrant of the arena, a squared-off section of flat grassy ground some twenty meters square from which five wicker targets spaced equally apart from one another. However, an additional ten meters behind these five targets were another set of five targets though unlike their predecessors they were not uniform; instead, they were at a different distance and angles to throw off an Archer's depth perception. The further out from the wall, the more the terrain began to grow less controlled and regimented, trees and rockeries cropping up till the far end of the quadrant looked like a proper wild forest. Indeed, even amongst the trees and rock outcropping targets could be spotted at different elevations and even hidden partially by trees.

At the line that signaled the beginning of the archer range, there was a stretch or large corded rope that let the archers know they could advance no further to take their shots. The line for the Archery competition was quite a bit longer than for the melee, the diversity of people taking part was equally expansive when compared to the clientele of knights of before; everyone from the lowliest peasant or hunter with training with a bow to veteran soldiers looking to try their luck for a king's boon. Amongst the brunettes, ravenettes and even the few blondes, there was one man who possessed hair of such vibrant red that his identity could be defined even at from an acre away.

"This should be interesting," Naruto said upon watching the archery competition begin, eyes following the Knight of Lamentation from his position at the very back of the line, as always his eyes were closed. The reason for Naruto's interest was that in the last week while the blonde Apostle had been busy with a personal matter, Merlin had taken it upon himself to tinker with Failnaught, and Naruto was curious to see what his teacher had been able to do. Merlin may have sometimes bit his own tongue mid incantation, but he was one of the best magi in the world for a reason.

Over in the line, Tristan quietly kept walking forwards as the other Archers advanced to the front and took their best attempts at the daunting archery range. In contrast, most of them were able to get anywhere between great and passable groupings on the primary targets the others were relatively untouched. Gold eyes remained closed while his other senses took in the abilities and conditions of the day, the sound of arrows whistling through the air, the way bowstrings were drawn, and arrow fletchings fumbled. To Tristan who had spent just as much time as a musician as he had a knight, the sounds of the battlefield were just as important, if not more important than what the eyes saw.

"I'm going to humiliate you, sour features, I'm gonna show the King and People that gutter trash like you doesn't need to be in the Round Table."

Tristan stopped mid-step at hearing those words spat with a superior vitriol that played in discord with the happy air entering his ears, but this was not the first time he had listened to the voice. Keeping his eyes closed when turning his face to the massive olive-skinned male glaring down at him did the Round Table's archer quirk a brow in saddened incredulousness. _'Come now, I simply thought this man was a buffoon with an excess of hubris, to try this is sad in the most pathetic way.' _He internalized with a measure of exasperation.

A mullet of curly black hair sat upon a head that was disproportionately small compared to the rest of his body, arms and shoulders that were closer to tree trunks and boulders than muscle attached to a muscled body covered in brown furs. Matthias or Cornwall was the Royal Hunter and took to the position like fish to water, having stocked Camelot's pantries for years on end at this point. He was not a particularly friendly man, nor was he all that well-liked by the Round Table beyond Agravain, but his skills in the hunt were undeniable. Which is what made his hubris _fucking unbearable._

Kay, Bedivere and Tristan had many a time found themselves relaxing in a tavern after a long day's service to the King only to hear Matthias brag loudly of his archery or spearmanship skill. How only the King as a 'beyond human' being was able to eat the quality of his meat. But beyond all of that, Matthias hated the Round Table, specifically Tristan.

"All the other Knights, I can understand their place at the table. Gawain? A gorilla with the power of the sun at his call. That French fuck Lancelot? He's better than any other human with a blade." Matthias continued. The line continued to slowly slide towards the mark as the philistine droned on and on about the problems he had with the Round Table with Tristan doing his best to ignore him as he literally had fifteen more pressing matters to focus his mind on right now. "And then there's you, Tristan the sad little man with a harp, being an Archer isn't special, neither's playing music and I can do both!" Matthias boasted, making Tristan contemplate playing a ballad just to take his mind off him, "After I beat you in archery today in front of everyone, I'll write a song of how impotent you truly are, then I might pay that trollop Iseult a visit."

Gold eyes opened fully in quiet fury at those vulgar words and the air stilled. Few things in this world could make the pessimistic redhead legitimately angry but bringing up _that _name when this... **_knave _**hadn't earned it was a sure-fire way to draw out the fury hidden under layers of sadness. Iseult of Ireland had been the cause of much sorrow for Tristan before he had joined Arturia's crusade against Vortigern. She had been a lady whom his uncle and former lord King Mark of Cornwall had been betrothed, his uncle had sent him to retrieve her so they could marry. After an adventure in freeing her from the hands of an evil schemer that had claimed to slay a dragon, Tristan and Iseult, that purple-haired, blue-eyed beauty**(1)** had accidentally shared a love potion with and fallen madly in love with Tristan.

Tristan had not had the best childhood, having been known as the Knight of Lamentation long before he had even become King Mark's knight, his father Rivalen had died in battle without ever being able to see Tristan's face. His mother Blancheflor died in childbirth, right after naming the boy Tristan and entrusting him to a loyal subordinate of Rivalen, Loire. Yet Loire had never loved the boy, seeing him as a burden wrongly forced upon him and thus Tristan had never known love until Iseult and he had drunk that potion. Life is however cruel, and due to the machinations of those in King Mark's Court, Tristan was forced to turn the woman he loved and loved him over to his uncle before being banished from the lands. Though fostered by a potion, though fleeting and taken from him, Tristan never stopped loving the woman even in his sadness, so he resolved to do one thing, humiliate Matthias for daring to speak her name.

When his time came, Matthias dug his monstrosity of a longbow into the ground and used his foot to brace it before knocking a ballista bolt as his arrow, developed muscles drawing back the steel string until the bow began to creak with the strain. When the bow looked as if it was about to snap in two, Matthias let the bolt fly, twisting in the wind and leaving a shockwave in its wake soaring past the first and second set of targets to embed it's shaft deep into the bullseye if the furthest target obscured by two trees. The crowd exploded into shocked applause at seeing such a magnificent shot loosed by the Royal Huntsman, hitting something that many would think impossible without magical assistance.

"What now, Knight of Lamentation!? Best that!" Matthias shouted, swaggering to the side and waiting for Tristan to take his shots, confident that his one shot would upstage Tristan regardless of how many shots Tristan took.

With deft steps that brought the red-headed to his mark brought a hushed quiet over the crowd, the King watched her knight with encouraging eyes, seeing the way that vibrant red hair waved in the wind, his back to them all yet she could sense his eyes were open. Thousands, including one Divine Dead Apostle Ancestor, watched as Tristan hefted the new and improved Failnaught into a ready position at his side before gauntleted fingers began to play a fast-paced trill. It was a musical ballad filled with intense feelings of both sadness and elation that made those watching tremor in their hearts, but soon they all noticed something visually occurring in this recital. With each pluck of the silver and black string did a silvery blue line form in the air, each one arcing in its own unique path between the trees and around rocks once they had cleared the grassland.

Naruto who was watching things from the side as a Magus and Shinobi felt his admiration for Tristan grow, '_Vacuum paths, using Magical energy imparted into the sound waves of his music to create cutting winds that can loop around defenses...that's pretty damn ingenious!' H_e thought, mentally admiring Tristan's use of what was specialized wind manipulation.

When the thirtieth such vacuum path had been created, Tristan knocked his arrow and pulled it to the extent of the strings would allow, becoming sheathed in white magical energy of the bow "Song to Iseult!" Loosing it, Naruto and everyone else watched as the arrow of energy stuck the nexus of the vacuum paths before splitting into thirty separate streaks of light that traveled down their set out paths and bifurcated all thirty targets in less than a second. He turned to face the crowd and did not even look Matthias way, gold eyes looking over the stunned audience.

Sir Tristan had just hit all targets with a single arrow.

"YEAHHHHHHHHHH!"

The spectators cheered, losing their minds in the euphoria of the miracle they had just witnessed, what would become known forevermore as the Ballad of Iseult and for but a second, Naruto saw something that in his mind was even more magnanimous, a small smile upon Tritan's lips and golden eyes.

"Something catch your eye, Naruto?" Arturia asked the Apostle a few minutes later while she kept her eyes on the Joust that little Gareth was about to compete in again, "You're about to miss Sir Gareth and the lance you made for them again."

"Sorry about that, my king…" Naruto said while directing his attention back to one of his completed weapons works, "…I was merely watching Sir Tristan gracing us with a smile."

Now it was time for both the King and queen to be mildly surprised by such a thing as they both appeared to have raised brows and smiles of their own, "Sir Tristan, smiling?" Guinevere asked in mock disbelief as she playfully shielded her smile that was growing infectious, "Surely you jest?"

Contrary to what one might assume from being either side of what was essentially an extramarital affair, the relationship Naruto and Guinevere had with one another wasn't negative at all, quite the opposite. At times, the queen and vampiric knight got along rather well, even if they didn't say much to one another; merely holding respect and on some level of admiration for one another in a sense for what they did to maintain the Kingdom in their own way.

"My name is not Surely, and I never jest my queen." Naruto cheekily replied as Arturia chuckled at the response.

* * *

"Here she comes!" Arturia said excitedly when she peeked up to see Gareth ready herself atop her horse, primed to joust once more with her white-tipped lance. The King had watched in the last half hour of jousting had filled her with renewed pride in her rosy-cheeked niece and her ability. Jousting was a challenging sport with a surprisingly high fatality rate even when competitors were decked out in full plate armor. All it took was a splintered lance or a bad fall to cause grievous damage, even with safety measures in place Camelot's jousting setup was daunting. Taking up half of the arena was the flat ground that riders would charge at one another down, and that meant there was a lot of speed to be gathered.

Little Gareth, shorter and lighter than every single other rider by at least two heads, had done wonders in whipping the crowd into a frenzy, the British peoples' adoration for underdogs on full display. However, none had been prepared for the sheer spectacle of a 'boy' no taller than five feet effortlessly unseating **_seven _**riders back to back. Now she sat resting in her saddle with white spur adorned sabatons against the horse's flanks looking to unseat her eighth to claim victory like her fellow Knights of the Round Table. Looking up into the stands, her round green eyes picking out the Knights for moral support and finding the smiling visages of both her elder brothers staring back at her from the crowd in support, so too did she find Sir Lancelot waving to her in his white armor; armor that she had modified her own to emulate.

In her time in service to the King, Garath had come to respect and care for those that the King trusted as her own family, each one special in their own special way but aside from all others, she respected Sir Lancelot the most. To Gareth, the Frankish knight was everything that she aspired to be as a knight, strong, skilled, wise, ferocious and above all popular with the common folk. It was not vanity that drove her to aspire to emulate these things but the heartfelt desire that she should strive to become like the man who she viewed as the ultimate knight, for then she could indeed be of the most exceptional service to the King and her vision. The youngest Orkney sibling turned to face her aunt as well as the queen and Mr. Naruto and lifted her lance in salute before lowering her visor.

As the two knights readied themselves to charge, Gareth's lance began to cycle through its orbs of stored mana that had been loaded into the firing mechanism. The signal had been given for the two to charge; as they rode near for the clash, both knights readied their lances and drove them into the shields they held up for protection. The impact from Gareth's lance produced a small shockwave of blue mana that spread across the opposing shield as her opponent attempted to land his own strike, pulling a trigger concealed in the handle. The blue mana that flowed around the lance was drawn into formulacraft sigils at the edge of the frontal cone and travelling along lines carved into the hull to the weapon's tip; a bubble of hyperdense mana birthing like a marble-sized blue star before detonating like a cannon.

The enemy rider's shield buckled under the sudden supernova of force in addition to Garaeth's already perfect thrust, launching him off his saddle to pirouette backwards off of his stallion he rode into the soft grass some thirty feet away with a cracked sternum and six broken ribs. Bursting into rapturous applause at Sir Gareth's eighth and final victory to crown her the champion, none but Naruto and Gareth herself was aware that at that moment the lance had been on it's lowest possible setting. Everyone else was far too focused on the girl's radiant smile that shone brighter than her brother's Galatine when she removed her helmet to do her victory lap; catching flowers tossed from the crowd.

"Sir Gareth has become quite the knight, hasn't she?" Arturia asked Naruto at her side as they all clapped to see the young girl's victory.

Naruto nodded with a cheeky grin splitting his whiskered cheeks as he felt a swell of pride within him in seeing the fruits of his labors at work, even if it was just a mere tournament among friends and allies. "I had a feeling the lance I made for her would work the way I intended, though I haven't been able to come up with a name for it yet." He put a hand to his chin in thought,

"Hmm…" Arturia hummed in thought as for what to name Gareth's lance. Names were emblematic of many things in regards to both the weapon and the wielder, basing it upon how Gareth acted in battle, even in friendly sparring sessions and duels, "…Sir Gareth is much like a rampaging She-Wolf. Perhaps that would be of some inspiration?"

She was right in that matter, 'She-Wolf' was a pretty accurate description to describe Gareth, ever bounding forwards as part of the pack to chase down and pummel the enemy, the wind in her hair and thrill in her heart. "Well, if that's the case, then perhaps Ira Lupus would be the name of her lance?" Yes, that would do well for the customized lance Gareth now held.

As the Grand Tourney drew to a close, it came time for the awards ceremony to be held and boons to be handed out to the victors of the tournaments. Very few were surprised that of the three main events were won by members of the Round Table, they were after all the cream of the crop of Camelot's forces with each one capable of reforming the landscape and slaying armies. More than that though, today was a day of remembering a hard-fought war fought for the sake of peace and justice, it was right that Arturia's inner circle that had bled for that victory should be bathed in victory.

The eating competition had oddly been won by Gawain this year who despite being blessed by the sun had a stomach like a black hole that cared more for quantity than quality. As much as it had pained Arturia to not take part in her personal pastime and event that she had set up she thought that it would be better for appearances and political appearance that she remained in the royal pavilion to watch. As a consolation prize though she had been able to enjoy a quiet dinner alone with her lover, something that she was sad to say was becoming rarer as of late.

Of course, Kay had won the drinking contest, Palamedes and Bors had helped the dirty blonde haired knight perform a keg stand into a vat of over-proofed whisky that Naruto was sure had dragon's blood in it. It all but confirmed in his mind that Arturia's foster brother had a liver on par with a TYPE. Shaking his head at the memory, Naruto stood beside Arturia and Guinevere in his guise as Merlin to help give the three victors their trophies. Arturia produced a new black and gray cloak for Tristan, one made from the finest of furs in Britain that may or may not have been stolen from Matthias by Naruto, as she draped it around his shoulders with the Knight of Lamentation kneeling before her, the small smile had not yet left his features, "Well done, Sir Tristan, you aim never fails."

Tristan gave a small nod, keeping his silence before responding with a level voice, "'Tis but a time for good company and enjoyment, my King." Kind words, that while on the surface were but a reassurance of his own skills, however, beneath them were unsaid intent in silent effort to let the King know that she could enjoy herself like any other person, regardless if it was time for such events or not.

With Naruto, he held a pair of Yatagarasu feathers up to the kneeling Gareth, a gift that while may not seem much, were in fact very well valued in the mage community, "You did well, Sir Gareth…" Naruto gestured for her to remove her helm which she rested on her side, while the elder blonde pinned the feathers to either side of her hair, "…these feathers come from a three-legged raven in the far east and symbolizes guidance. I know they'll offer it when you are in times of need, Sir Gareth."

Gareth had a bright smile on her face as she stood up, "Thank you, Mr Naruto, I'm grateful for all the hard work you put into my lance."

"Ira Lupus." he supplied, drawing a curious glance from the girl.

"Hmm?"

"Your lance; Ira Lupus should be its name from now on," Naruto said with pride.

Gareth gave small thumbs up that Naruto himself would on occasion be seen using around the castle, taking it as a sign of approval.

As for Lancelot, he knelt before Guinevere while she decided on something simpler yet at the same time, something that any man would have done anything to receive from a beauty such as her; she dipped down to give the Knight of the Lake a small kiss on the forehead. Lancelot's eyes briefly widened, and the onlookers gave a slight chuckle at the sight, all taking it in stride as a joke. Several people had to cover their mouths before they began to laugh when Lancelot rubbed his forehead in embarrassment, He looked to the side to see Arturia and Naruto covering their mouths. In contrast, Gareth was openly chuckling, Tristan merely smirked at the man, "That was… kind of you, my queen."

Guinevere pushed a lock of purple hair out of his sightline as she smiled, "Think nothing of it, Sir Lancelot." Oddly enough, she enjoyed the sight of a man that composed himself so well in and out of battle, becoming flustered and embarrassed by such a minor show of affection.

With the Grand Tourney now over, or rather just the tournaments, the vendors were allowed a few more hours to sell their wares and products, meaning that the King and court were needed to resume their daily duties.

Fortunately for Naruto, a missive had arrived, Merlin had returned, so there was no need for him to attend court in his place, although he would have to review the records to ensure he would be up to speed on previous sessions. This left Naruto with free time for a few hours, and he planned to spend it meeting a little ball of energetic fluff known as Mordred. The source and movements of the little girl were something that had proved most elusive to him, almost as if there was something actively working to make her movements hard to track to his senses. Still, every time he laid eyes on her, those thoughts fell away in favor of basking in her warm happiness.

A change of clothes and a few kilometres walk later saw Naruto walking up a small hillock, taking the time to wait for the little rascal, Naruto sat down underneath the giant oak tree that had grown atop the hill that overlooked the city park.

"Always good to see this every day, just people enjoying their time doing whatever it is they want or need to do." Naruto spoke to himself as he watched as children playing knights with one another, tag, and even trying to catch fish in a stream. Meanwhile, quite a few women had gone further downstream to do laundry, bringing their basins and supplies necessary to do the job. Who'd've thought such a simple method could just about clean clothes as well as a washing machine did? He had brought up in a previous court meeting with Arturia to have a public laundromat building constructed to allow the people better facilities to clean their clothes, this had, unfortunately, run into a brick wall known as Black Iron Agravain.

As he continued gazing out over the park, he heard a pair of footsteps rushing up the hill towards him, "I made it!" Naruto turned to see that it was little Mordred. She had grown since he had last seen her, by perhaps a year or two given the minute change of facial structure, but she was still only pushing just above the four-foot mark. Mordred's blonde hair had lost some of its unnatural spikes as it had grown out in a wave of golden tresses to messily settle at her mid-back. Ditching the tattered brown cloak revealed a red jacket with gold embroidery worn over a black tunic fastened by a single gold button at her solar plexus. The tunic was tucked into a pair of knee-length baggy shorts from which a pair of white tight clad legs slotted into rounded well-made ankle boots of reddish-brown leather. A single short dagger was sheathed at her side, attached to her waist by a belt made of the same leather as her boots.

Mordred was panting a bit as she made her way over to the oak tree to sit next to Naruto who brought out a book, "Come here, kiddo!" He held out his right arm for Mordred to dive in for a hug, upon which she promptly glomped him like any would their loving parent, "So hey, I've got something planned for us today."

Mordred's eyes brightened in anticipation, "Really?"

The Apostle nodded as he held the book out for Mordred to take, "Here, I got this for you. It's a story that my godfather wrote, and I had started translating for people over here to read, and I thought that you might enjoy it." Translating the 'Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Ninja' had been a bit of a pain, especially seeing as shinobi as a concept didn't exist in Europa. Still, he was able to produce one copy of it from memory since he had lost it nearly a century ago. He enjoyed reading the book growing up, even as a teenager that had grown out of childish things for the most part, but he thought that Mordred would like it given her age, accelerating as it was. What he did not expect was for Mordred to begin shedding tears as she gazed at the book like it was some foreign thing that she had no idea what to do with, "Hey, Little Mo, what's wrong?"

He gently took hold of one of her shoulders while he wiped away the tears with another hand, "I-It's just that I… I… I don't know how to r-read…" She looked so happy, but yet at the same time, so sad… that's when it hit Naruto.

She had never been taught how to read.

What a cruel thing to rob a child of, so early in their life…

Seeing such a look on the child that he viewed as his even if he was still scared to check was agony, Naruto was putting his foot down this instant, "Well, then we can stick a pin into our plan for the day." Wrapping his arms around Mordred, he spun her around with a loving smile with the child becoming confused at his actions, Naruto sat her in his lap while he rested his chin atop her head, "I'm gonna teach you, Little Mo."

Mordred raised her head up a bit to see Naruto smiling down as he used a handkerchief to wipe away her tears. Seeing how much Naruto cared for her, Mordred sniffled a few times before looking back down at the open book, "Thanks mommy…"

As Naruto began reading to Mordred, his thoughts drifted back to the other times they had spent together.

* * *

_-A glimpse into the Past-_

_The heavy rain had come as it always did when spring came upon the country, Naruto was sitting down in a moderately sized tavern to do some reading up on old legends concerning the primeval curse that laid within the land. Long before man had truly claimed Britain as their own, before Brutus of Troy had dashed Gogmagog to the Reverse Side were the Fae, the supreme rulers of the land. Though Fae were creatures paradoxical in their pursuit of fun and amusement, especially before Oberon and Titania had formed a court having been blatantly malicious in their treatment of humans. Millennia of vile trickery and magical suffering bled into the land as a gestalt truth of the Fae's original sin, this tremendous and wicked power was known as the primeval curse of Britain, and it dwelled in the Pendragon lineage._

_Merlin had told Naruto how Morgan was able to tap into its curse and turn it into a great weapon to empower her black mysteries, as the Aria's she used were used in a tongue that was all but dead save for those who knew the art. Yet when spoken, it was an insult without being one, as just reading one of the lines that had been printed, even as it held little meaning to him, made Naruto scrunch his nose in disgust, "'Ghurarmu shirkush' agh azgushu.' A sacrifice of blood and bone… what the hell, a ritual?" A shiver ran down his spine as he finished the sentence. Slamming the book shut, Naruto carefully set it aside to keep an eye on and not to damage it, despite his instincts telling him to burn the book due to that one line, "What a disgusting language…" Merlin had theorized that the language had gone back as far as the Age of Gods possibly, but its origin was still hotly debated since so few had practiced the language in True Deamon cults, with the only ones that perhaps knew more of it were those in Holy Church, though they were tight-lipped about it._

_As he spoke to himself, it seemed that even Kurama was affected by the words themselves, **"AGGHH! Never speak in that hideous tongue again!"** The Tailed Beast exclaimed in anger as he clenched his ears in reaction to the words that his partner just spoke. Clearly, the black speech was enough to drive the two of them into such emotions to never hear or speak it again, though if they were to truly understand how to counter Morgan's Magecraft, they needed to learn more on the subject, not to use, but to eradicate. Such a thing did not belong in Camelot or the world as a whole._

_He had been waiting for little Mo to arrive, so they could have a nice lunch together that he made back at the palace and brought with him in a basket. Typically, Naruto would've brought her up to his place for this instead; however, he didn't want to attract Arturia's attention so soon, especially when he was still unsure if Mordred truly was of their blood and what that meant. Not only that, it would only incite Agravain, the uptight bastard, to promptly believe that somehow Morgan was behind it with the intent to assassinate Arturia, to which on the one hand, Naruto did see that kind of viewpoint, but on the other, he could never see a child as innocent as Mordred as a murderer._

_His thoughts were interrupted when the door from the tavern swung open just as quickly as it closed with the hooded Mordred quickly rushing in, Naruto quickly grabbing a towel from a nearby hanger as he made his way over to the drenched little girl and proceeded to dry her off starting with her head. "Oh, now who is this I wonder underneath this towel, eh?" He asked with faux curiosity and humor laced into his tone. Mordred stifled a giggle as Naruto continued on drying her off, without lifting the towel from her head, "Could it be this strange whiskered little girl I had been waiting on for some time now?" The giggle continued on as he finished drying her off, though he had yet to take the towel off, before slowly lifting it off, only to see a pair of hands covering her face, "I wonder, maybe she's just hiding from me." Setting the towel down, Naruto clasped his hands around Mordred's own tiny ones and gently brought them down to see her adorable little face, "So this is where she was hiding."_

_Mordred's ever-growing grin had finally split into a big smile as she began to laugh without reserve, "I'm sorry I was late, mommy."_

_"That's alright." She proceeded to hold her arms out when Naruto scooped her up before he made his way back to their table, "Now…" The Apostle said as he held Mordred close to him, "…let's eat!"_

_"Yeah!" The little tyke had thrown a fist in the air as if she were getting some victory over the weather._

* * *

-The Present; Naruto & Mordred, the Streets of Camelot-

Upon finishing up the book and mentally evaluating that Jiraiya's debut novel was surprisingly short, Naruto decided to take Mordred back by the candy shop in the city close by where they first met one another. The two of them walked hand in hand through the cobbled streets of the capital in the joy of one another's company, the hopping girl swung their arms back and forth, "So, what've you been thinking about doing when you grow up Little Mo?"

Mordred still seemed to be a tad irritated at the nickname that Naruto had given her going by her cheeks puffing out and scrunched her little nose up, "I'm not little!" Naruto couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction; remembering the days when he had said a litany of similar things like that, he didn't hit a proper growth spurt till he was 17. The little girl had stopped with the amusing name rejection as her mind drifted back to Naruto's question, "But what I wanna be…? I dunno. I guess I…" She scratched the back of her head in thought with her free hand, "…maybe I wanna go on adventures like you do." Mordred exclaimed as she pointed at Naruto who arched an amused brow at the answer.

Naruto had often at times told Mordred stories of his exploits back when he was still human in the Leaf Village, and even in his service to Arturia with how they fought against the invading foreigners, the rebellious lords and the tyrant Vortigern. All tales that made any child marvel at the wonders of his life.

* * *

_-Another glimpse into the Past-_

_Naruto crouched down as he searched through some shrubbery in the park, looking for his objective, "Hmm… I wonder where she could be…?" He asked with a smirk as he heard some ruffling behind him, "Oh where, oh where, could she be~?" A little tune came upon his lips to make things a little entertaining._

_He and Mordred had decided on playing a few games in the park together, with tag having been the first, and now it was time for hide-and-go-seek. Suffice to say, Mordred was very good at hiding. So far, the Apostle had refrained entirely from using his enhanced senses to find it like nothing, instead opting to give the little girl the time of her life in trying to outwit and hide from him._

_The little thing knew all too well now._

_Though he finally had her…_

_Naruto slowly inched closer to the bushes and prepared to pounce, "I… got you!"_

_…or so he thought…_

_He pulled the shrubbery apart to reveal, nothing. Suddenly he felt a mass of clothes and flesh slam into him as the force was far greater than he initially thought possible, "NII! Surprise!" As it turned out, Mordred decided to climb up into the trees and ambush him thoroughly._

_Now, while most kids her age weren't very strong, she was quite the opposite. As it turns out, her unique biology granted her strength beyond what was thought possible for a child. Mordred's little ambush of slamming into Naruto turned the tiny area they were in into a small crater. As Naruto's body made impact with the ground, dust was kicked up into the air causing Mordred to shield her eyes before rubbing them to refocus her vision to see the results of her lineage at subconscious work, "Mommy! Are you ok?!"_

_Mordred got up off of Naruto before she shook him a bit, to see him shaking briefly before managing to find the strength to flip him over, only to be granted the view of him holding back laughter before he quickly surprised her as he wrapped his arms around the girl before they both began laughing as Naruto let out his victorious cry. "I got you, Knight who shouts Nii!"**(2)** The two continued to roll around the crater in joy before calling it quits._

* * *

-The Present; Naruto & Mordred-

A somewhat depressed look came across Mordred's face as Naruto appeared disappointed and confused, "Why's it closed?"

The two stood in front of the now closed candy shop. The front door had a large lock on it, coupled with boarded-up windows and a sign of foreclosure.

Mordred's innocent question brought a pang of disappointment to his heart while he tried to come up with a reason her mind was able to comprehend, yet sadly he couldn't. "I don't know, kiddo." Though he knew well enough that more than likely anything, Agravain had shut it down due to tax reasons. Agravain excelled in three areas above all others in the Round Table, his secretariat skills, ability to understand the ebb and flow of the cultural economy and torturing people. It was why despite his passive-aggressive discontent, the Black Iron Knight had been put in charge of Camelot's coffers.

He turned to see how Mordred appeared letdown by this unfortunate closing; not liking this look upon her face, Naruto had something else in mind, "Come on, I've got something else in mind now." He led Mordred back through the streets directly towards the palace.

* * *

-The Palace-

Peaking around the corner, Naruto scanned the hallway as he held Mordred up in his arms to hopefully get away with this little change in plans, "Okay, looks like we're clear, Mo." Naruto said as he stepped out from the corner, he practically tip-toed his way through the hall to their destination.

Although, Mordred herself was somewhat confused by where Naruto was taking them, "Where're we going, mommy?" She whispered ever so slightly to the Apostle, who was clearly upset about the sweets shop having been closed down.

"A secret~…" Naruto said playfully when he turned a corner and opened up a door to reveal a rather spacious room that had been set up for a special occupant. After Naruto stepped inside with Mo still wrapped up in his arms, he quickly shut the door, and Mo turned her gaze around to the other occupant of the room and gasped as she covered her mouth in surprise, "Little Mo, meet Periwinkle. The King's very own lion." Yes, Periwinkle the lion had his very own room. Over the last few years, the lion had grown to full adulthood and rarely left the palace itself, only to venture out alongside his 'mother' and himself whenever they had the little free time to let the exotic cat stretch his legs. Now granted he was always fed large meaty chunks of beef and pork on occasion to ensure that he wouldn't stalk the local animals, meant to be butchered for the markets or even attack one of the citizens.

However, the once mighty lion was entering his twilight years, the ravages of time catching up with him, he no longer held much strength left. Now Periwinkle laid down upon the cosy mat that Arturia had commissioned for him, with various items here and there to help keep him in shape and play around with. The lion raised his head to see that it was the man that his 'mother' was always so fond of, and a little girl who bore a striking resemblance to his 'mother'.

"What kinda cat is that?", Mordred asked in mild excitement mixed with an undercurrent of nervousness. Just about anyone would be so upon seeing a massive alpha predator like Periwinkle, in the minds of common folk, lions were just as exotic as Dragons.

Naruto made his way closer as Mordred held on tightly out of slight fear of what the cat would do, "This Little Mo, is Periwinkle the lion." Kneeling down, he set Mordred down to stand on her own, though she still clung lightly to the Apostle as Periwinkle got up to make his way towards them, "He's the kings own lion; don't worry about him hurting us, he's harmless." Naruto held his hand out in comfort, as Periwinkle drew closer and closer, while Mordred's grip tightened up. Periwinkle inched towards the palm. Giving it a sniff before rubbing his nose against it, "See? He's a purring pussy at heart. Now you try it." Naruto gestured out for Mordred to do the same.

Glancing back and forth between the other occupants of the room, Mordred hesitantly held her own hand out as Periwinkle chuffed for a bit before sniffing it for himself. In a strange way, he recognized Mordred, much like Arturia, sensing her as the offspring of sorts to his 'mother'; somewhat as a 'sibling' in a strange sense, a member of the pride. As time seemed to stand still, Periwinkle began to nuzzle Mordred's hand and enjoyed when she giggled at the funny sensation that the lion's nose seemed to tickle with every nuzzle. Mordred looked back to Naruto as he gestured towards the lion, with Periwinkle having acknowledged Mordred as someone friendly.

The sight was adorable when Mordred began to pet the lion's mane as she could feel the softness of the once mighty animal; turning towards Naruto with a look of amazement adorning her features, coupled with a bright and open smile like a kid on Christmas morning, "He's… so… fluffy!" She jumped up and down before laying her head up against the mane while Periwinkle wrapped Mordred up slightly with his right paw to bring her closer.

Naruto merely smiled at this little girl whom he had come to care for which tonight, he had finally plucked up enough courage to find out the truth of her bloodline.

* * *

Late was the hour in Camelot, for all had gone to sleep in the city, save for those who stood guard over it as well as the surrounding lands and Naruto himself took to his room for personal tasks. After Mordred had finally let go of Periwinkle's mane after an almost nauseating amount of lion based cuddles the day was coming to an end. Naruto had asked her for a small drop of blood to check and see if she had any infections, to which the young Mordred wasn't sure what he meant at first, before explaining he wanted to ensure she was healthy.

The tyke complied of course, as luck would have it, she didn't even become squeamish under the sight of blood being taken from her. Then again, if going by the occasional bruises she would often have times as she swung by, only for Naruto to heal upon arrival, Mordred was not one to shy away from something considered grizzly. As much as the concept made his blood literally boil, he had other things to check tonight. Holding up the vial of blood to the light within the room, Naruto inspected the contents to see that it was enough for what he needed.

Turning towards the table, where Naruto had two other vials of blood, one marked with his own, and the other marked with Arturia's, "Time to find out the truth." Setting down Mordred's vial alongside the others, Naruto went over to a jar of glittering powder, much like the same that Merlin had used to confirm years ago on how to start his magecraft training, where he began to sprinkle the dust as he channeled mana through the substance as he kept his eye on the blood vials. As he closed the jar up while setting it back in its place, Naruto watched on as the vials became alit with the powder showcasing their work at hand; Naruto's vial glowed red, just as Arturia's vial glowed blue… Mordred came to life with a magenta light, "…"

He had known, known for a long time now that this result was entirely possible but dared not to believe, content to live in the bliss of the present instead of facing a truth none too pleasant...one just proven correct. Mordred was his and Arturia's daughter, born away from the love of what should have been and tortured by some outside force… and yet. "I'm... a real parent…" he said, scarcely believing his own words or the elation he felt at having a child. This did not stop the slew of darker thoughts swirling in his thought partitions. Now it was all but confirmed that somehow, in some way, Morgan managed to create Mordred from their blood. Something that he thought, and even Altrouge through their letters to one another had all but confirmed that it was impossible.

'**_What're you going to do now?'_** Kurama asked in curiosity about how Naruto would handle this situation. He knew that odds are Mordred was, without a doubt his kid. Hell, the whiskers were a dead giveaway, though the question of how she came to be was the ultimate question. The only thing he could chalk it up to was being a homunculus that Morgan created, which wasn't out of the realm of possibility as it was rumored, she could create very unique beings from this sub-category of Alchemy.

'_I don't know yet.'_ Naruto said as he pulled up a seat to sit down to fully digest the truth he unearthed, _'I should tell Arturia about it, but I'm not sure if I should do it so soon.'_ Lately, their relationship, while not strained, was hitting a bit of a rough patch per say, with the governance of affairs taking priority over personal things.

Turning his gaze over towards the box that held the finished blade that was Clarent, "Besides, I think tomorrow will be the day I unveil Clarent to Arturia and the others." Oh yes, after four long years of designing, forging and finishing the blade that would bestow knighthood onto those loyal to the king, and anoint the future successor, to which Naruto hoped with some extra time and preparation he could help teach Mordred how to be a proper leader, along with establishing that she was her and Arturia's daughter to hopefully build up their relationship… maybe… just maybe… that Mordred would inherit Clarent.

Vivian had regarded him as a Lesser Fae to which meant that upon his forging of the sword, using Albion's blood as the core, coupled with a few extra additions from his Formalcraft, suggested that in a way it was a Psuedo-Divine Construct. Not quite like Excalibur and Avalon's level, but very much like Arondight and Galatine's own.

Either way, he believed that this would be one of his greatest works yet.

* * *

-The Next Day; Hall of the Round Table-

With the day beginning as the king and court assembled, all were in attendance when Naruto had announced that he had finished the new Sword of Selection that Arturia tasked him with forging, with many eager to see what would likely be a blade as beautiful as its predecessor Caliburn.

As everyone took their respective seats, Naruto stood alongside Arturia while Merlin sat at the court magus desk next to her, though it seemed that Fou decided to sit on Naruto's shoulder this time around. Guess the half-Incubus did something to earn the cold shoulder from the small Beast as of late. What was it? Who could even say at this point since he had done a litany of things that could be described as disturbing the peace ranging from eating dreams to leaving a spate of hermaphrodites in a brothel in Kent? Naruto idly thought it might have been to do with the new shield that Merlin had created to potentially serve as a sheath for Clarent and it's apparent ability to subdue nature spirits; an ability that Fou had been on the receiving end of. _**'****Who the fuck names a shield Wynebgwrthucher?(3)' **_Kurama asked, trying not to have an aneurysm at the memory of the shield's mouthful of a name.

Regardless, it was time as Naruto sat the box off to a side table nearby and lifted out Clarent for all to gaze upon. "Everyone, I'd like to present the Radiant and Brilliant Royal Sword, the new blade that will bestow knighthood onto to new members of the Round Table, and pass on to the heir of Camelot henceforth. I've named it Clarent."

Unlike Excalibur or the now lost Caliburn, Clarent was a greatsword much wider than either of the preceding blades, and unlike either the Fae construct or Merlin's Sword of Selection it had a far from standard coloring and design. The guard structure was in the style of a delta wing sweeping backwards to help protect the hands of the wielder while the ovaloid decoration descending over the blade's fore was encircled and bisected by an artful approximation of an as yet blank sigil space. The guard and pommel of the sword was a pearlescent silver which paired well with the red leather wrapping of the hilt. Still, eyes were drawn to the blade itself which was a vibrant crimson like freshly drawn blood, with such vividness that it drew inhalations of breath from many bearing witness to it as the sun that shined through the windows glistened upon the blade. Along the fore of the blade to its razor-sharp rounded edge was a line of Fae script teamed with Naruto's own preferred Formalcraft. Finally, from the end of the pommel, a pair of red silk tassels lay as the last vein decoration.

While it was a spectacle to behold visually it's aura was far more awe-inspiring, those in the blade's presence sensing the aura of radiant power like a looming thunderstorm ready to let loose crimson skyfire upon its master's enemies. Even those with no supernatural senses at all would find themselves subconsciously acknowledging 'This is the weapon of a conquering king'.

Overall, the court was impressed with its design and the power that seemed to radiate off the blade. A small round of applause from several of the knights such as Tristan, Lancelot and Bedivere was as good as any a show to bring a smile to Naruto as he was about to glance over to Arturia, wanting her approval more than anything in the hopes that he had succeeded in fulfilling his king, and his lover's request…

"While the blade is certainly one to behold, I'm of the opinion that it is too distant from Caliburn."

…but his gaze was directed back to Agravain, who voiced his thinly veiled disapproval of Clarent.

"And is that truly such a bad thing, Sir Agravain?" Lancelot asked in curiosity laced with a tone of disapproval of the Black Iron's seeming dismissal of Naruto's hard labor. Not too long ago he was shown the blonde's Mithril dagger, Carnwennan, that held such control overshadows that it would turn a lesser man's legs to jelly. The Armor of the Lion King that he had forged for Arturia when they assaulted Vortigern's fortress, and lands was a work of art that protected the King to no end. To say that Clarent was not as fine as these works was an insult to Naruto's capabilities as a smith.

Agravain grunted brusquely as he shifted in his seat before speaking once again, "The radiant silver has no place in regality, blue and gold have been symbols of color that designate our king, as well as Camelot. To try and change even one thing would begin to place doubts in the people's minds." He glanced around briefly to eye everyone at the Round Table, "Or have we forgotten that the color of red was one of Vortigern's own? That the color of blood was something he preferred when he marched his armies through our civil war? The Romans, now led by the upstart tyrant Tiberius, flies red on his banner, even having dyed his sword blood red to spread fear to his enemies."

Now while these were reasons that weren't entirely dismissive, they held some merit after that explanation as a few members of the court began to seem to silently agree. However, full convincing had yet to take hold, as Tristan spoke up, "Then perhaps it is simply time to change the meaning of red from blood to perhaps courage instead?" Tristan saw no reason why such things could not be changed. It was all part of the natural order with kingdoms in changing what was into what could be.

"What would the Knight of Lamentation know of courage? You who snipe your enemies from a distance and wears a sword for little more than show, bereft of even a guard?" Agravain shot back at the red-haired Archer with distaste clear across his features. "The King is beyond us all, a Holy Dragon made flesh wielding the Holy Sword of the Planet, it has set standards of inhuman elegance that a red flecked piece of steel can never hope to replicate and should the King switch to it, the bannermen will begin to question if their perfection is fading."

Aggravain was terse, monotonous and above all, pragmatic in his speech, never mincing in his words in regards to what he meant. In an advisor, it was something to be appreciated, however, given the subject matter he was about to find himself as the spark of a truly massive argument.

Bedivere, upon seeing Tristan's face twist with discontent at Agravain's words, was the one to make the first rebuttal. "Bold words for one that never fought amongst us until long after the battle was done, Sir Agravain. Tristan's skill with a bow has saved countless more lives than your barbaric methods of information extraction, not to speak that Clarent is a weapon forged at the hands of our friend long before you saw fit to enter Camelot's gates." Bedivere shot back, his usually placid demeanor showing vestiges of anger.

"Oh don't be so presumptuous as to accuse me of barbarism in comparison to Magi, it does not deter my points in the slightest." Agravain bit back, a vein pulsing visibly in his temple, "It is all well and good being chivalrous knights going around winning wars, but never forget that it is the realm that we govern and the realm that watches! Idle thoughts and feelings in the public consciousness can topple empires if left unchecked, and it always starts with something simple red weapon in the hands of a King that could use a Divine Construct."

Eventually, things began to degrade into a brief argument within the court; small bickering as Naruto himself was unable to really say anything as he believed that such a case was foolish, soon the hall was filled with full bellowed shouts all the while wondering how things got to this point, only for Arturia put her foot down. "**Enough**!" The court became still as the air froze at her command, "Sir Bors," the bald older gentlemen knight who had been quiet for the twenty-minute long shouting match turned to look at his King, "You have more experience with the governance of the people and the effect of iconography in society than the rest of us, what is your view?"

Bors sat up straighter at the command before taking a few seconds of silence to compose an answer. "I believe," he began, drumming his fingers on the table as he spoke, "That while Sir Agravain is using the worst possible way to explain it, that he might have a point." The other knights gave him incredulous looks particularly Percival and Geheris who had never seen the jovial gentlemen disagree. "Vortigern and his river of blood have left his mark upon Britain's culture like a malignant stain that shan't be vanquished for a century yet, a shift in color is easy to set the populous ill at ease. As for Sir Naruto's blade? It is indeed a truly fabulous sword, but Clarent should not be introduced to the public so quickly when Excalibur holds such allure to the people. My humble opinion, your Majesty."

Naruto and Merlin shared a glance with each other under their hoods, red meeting magenta in silent agreement that this is not how they had expected this to go, Fou's ears fell at feeling the comparison in the room. He was the Beast of Comparison, so long as mankind used means to compare to one another for superiority he would never be beaten, but seeing his friend, for that was what he thought of Naruto, have his creation be compared to the fallen tyrant was saddening. Arturia kept her eyes closed for close to a solid minute before opening them again, having come to a decision.

"I have heard all of your merits, each holding discourse with logic and reasonings to each their own." Merlin gave a small sigh, knowing full well what her decision would likely be based upon her actions within the last few years, "Naruto, your forging of Clarent is grand and a splendor to look upon, but I must consider how the people would view such a blade as Sir Agravain has pointed out." Naruto closed his eyes as he gripped Clarent tightly, "We shall strive to change the public's perceptions of the former tyrant and slowly let the idea of Clarent slip into their minds, one day it will be wielded for its intended purpose, but for now, Excalibur will be wielded to knight new members and eventually when our Kingdom is truly perfect I shall take up the blade, but not a day before."

Naruto's eyes dipped down as his grip on Clarent tightened, wondering if perhaps his work had been for nothing in how Arturia essentially rejected that which he was tasked to create. A small lump formed in his throat before swallowing it as he turned his attention to Arturia, "I understand… my king…" Naruto turned back to the box where he lay Clarent within its protective fabrics before locking it again as he then left the room of the Round Table.

Arturia eventually dismissed the court for their own duties all the while the King herself and Merlin remained behind, though for reasons unknown to all but themselves. The absence of the Apostle told the King something that deeply roiled within her emotions that she tried earnestly to keep under the surface. She had chosen duty to the realm over her lover's feelings, logically it was the sanest and most radical choice, and yet…

Arturia placed her head in her hands as she stifled a brief grunt before shattering her chair in displeasure after she heard Merlin leave his desk while laying a hand on her shoulder, "Love truly is a fickle thing, they say." The young woman king looked up to Merlin who had comforting words for her, "You should love him, despite your own dedication to your duties as the king. Despite how strange and fickle it truly is, love can bind things greater than just those whom it will encompass, but that which the time and greatness of it all."

It was the Age of Fairies that he was referring towards. So long as the young -or old Apostle depending on one's point of view that is- stood by Arturia with the love they shared, the Magic and Mystery of the age would live on for generations to come. Its decline was slowly beginning, though it held out with the linchpin still alive and well with good spirits, "Keep up your positivity, even in the darkest of items, Arturia. It will be what guides you to a better future, though I do not speak of only yourself when I say such things."

It wasn't often that she was ever addressed by her first name by those around her, save for the flower magus and her lover, or even her older brother. When done so, it was never to really be used in business dealings or matters of the court, but rather to help give advice, ease her mind, or provide comfort in some form or another. Arturia sat up from her seat as she dipped her head down in a slight bow, "Thank you, Merlin." The king took a deep breath in as she exhaled with some relief in her mentor's words, "I should pay more attention to Naruto. His dedication to myself and Camelot is unwavering, as his love for me… I should stop by his room more often." She stated with a small smile as she left Merlin merely chuckling a bit at her meaning with some… intimate actions no doubt on her mind.

* * *

-Lancelot & Guinevere-

In another part of the palace, Lancelot and Guinevere had decided to take over reading over some documents for Arturia. "I may not care for the Black Iron Knight, yet I cannot deny his skill as our country's secretary." Lancelot was aiding Guinevere in going through notes, personally sent and government focused, to help ease the burden of kingship from Arturia's shoulders in the hopes that this would allow her and Naruto time to themselves in private secrecy. Their joint work cut down the excess of queries, bills and requests that the King was expected to attend to in hopes of letting her have some time to herself and Naruto, something that the pair did in secret.

Guinevere chuckled quietly at the Frankish knight's displeasure with the paperwork, more deft with a sword than a quill. She was no stranger to such things having prepared herself beforehand with her father's own paperwork, believing that eventually such patience and skill with this task, "Oh, come now, Sir Lancelot. Surely the means of the pen is nothing to the might of the sword?" Guinevere teased, sat on the opposite side of their shared robust desk. Her long chestnut brown had been tied into a ponytail to reduce the off chance of getting quill ink on it.

Lancelot let out an exasperated sigh as he set some papers off to the side that were deemed 'unimportant', "I admit that the sword is far more simple than the pen, however…" He glanced over another pile of letters some 12 inches in depth as he brought them towards himself, "…I won't let this be my downfall." A mere jest he made, though one that did entertain the Queen a bit.

"I have to admit though…" Guinevere began, "…that was likely the first and only positive comment I believe I have heard you say about Agravain."

Lancelot could only rub his temple to ease the incoming headache that he knew full well that Guinevere was egging on intentionally. True, he knew that this was just to bring some entertainment into things, as well as making sure that Arturia wasn't bothered by these menial tasks.

For Guinevere, she had to internally admit that what began as a way to help Arturia with her role as the King and allow her more time with her secret lover, over time this was starting to become something more. Ever since Lancelot had come to comfort her on that evening, she had to admit that the Knight of the Lake was a man of his word, endeavoring to aid Guinevere in helping make the governance of Camelot all the easier. However, whenever his gentlemanly demeanor came through, she felt a flutter within herself that made her feel like a woman as opposed to a political playing piece. The way he spoke to her, the way he acted towards her, she would've contemplated her ever-growing emotions for Lancelot in her chambers alone later. That is until her internal thoughts were interrupted with a heavy thud as she witnessed Lancelot drop a letter to the floor as he sat in the seat with his hands clasped around his head, "Sir Lancelot, is everything all right?"

Lancelot could only slowly reach down to grasp the letter he dropped, "My… family is sending… my son to me…" The Queen's eyes were wide in shock at Lancelot's words. A son? He never mentioned fathering a son in all his time here, although her confusion and his sadness were made clear by his next sentence, "A son that I… had not known lived…"

Guinevere placed a comforting hand on his shoulder to ease his ailing constitution as she took a knee to lower herself to his level. Something that normally someone of her status would not and should not do, however, she was not like most other women in such positions, having accepted her role to hold Camelot together. Yet, she dared not turn her back on one of her subjects, a knight unto her king, who dared not sully their image of being a noble knight, "Tell me. How did this come to be, Lancelot?"

He would've corrected the Queen that she had forgone the 'sir' as per his position, though his emotions were now clouding his judgment a bit. He breathed deeply before explaining the letters' contents and how his son came to be, "Before I came to Britain, I was not the same man as I am now." He began, "I was a womanizer. I took several young maidens to bed, yet I did not continue courting any of them. My father learned of my 'activities' and sent me to train as a knight unto one of his lords as a means of punishment and to have me better myself." Shifting in his seat, Lancelot continued on with the explanation, "Now, one of them, as I have learned, bore a son…before perishing in childbirth" He handed the letter to Guinevere for her own eyes to confirm, "…Galahad is his name, and I've missed fourteen years of his life… his family is sending him here to be squired much like I once was before…" He could not bear to look her in the eye for such a stain on both his honor and his humility as a man, "…what kind of man am I? A man that had never bothered to learn of his prior shame, and to not take responsibility?"

The Queen could see his heart was heavy with both burden and sadness, for a man such as he felt worthless at this news of unknown kin to be revealed. Guinevere knew that she needed to do something for him to ease this pain, as her heart beat at a rapid pace, though unaware that what would come after would be something akin to instinct. She set the letter down as she cupped Lancelot's chin to look towards herself, "Lancelot, you are a good and honorable man. A great knight and I know that you will atone for this in time. Regardless of your past, it does not define the kind of man that you are now. I…" Her throat began to choke slightly as she attempted to reign in her emotions to stay as professional as she could be, yet they began to spread through her words, "…I know that you are someone that I trust more than anyone else. You are willing to keep the affair of the king and your fellow vampiric knight a secret; this showcases the love you have for them, even in different forms." Guinevere brushed some of Lancelot's hair off to the side as he gazed at her with the hope that perhaps was there for him.

For Lancelot, the Queen's words were comforting to his ears, for as he bore into her eyes, and she him, slowly but surely he wrapped his arms around her waist just as Guinevere pulled his head closer to her own. What occurred next was but the instinct of how Arturia and Naruto began their hidden love.

They kissed with comforting passion, for both knew that this would be the beginning of another affair that lied in Camelot's walls, hidden from the rest of the kingdom, just as that between the king and the Apostle.

The gears of causality had begun to turn, it would not be for years until they arrived at their calamitous final stop.

* * *

-Spring 478 AD-

"Hooray! The king has returned!"

"Our good King Arthur Pendragon!"

"Welcome back your majesty!"

It had been several months since the events of Clarent's dispute occurred, several border disputes and minor religions had made the sword fall to the back of the Round Table's minds. One of the previous rebel lords from the days of old attempted to begin an uprising to the east. However, it was cut down before it could even start as Naruto's spies throughout the kingdom kept both eye and ear down to the ground for any whispers of rebellion. In particular, the previous lords that attempted to stop Arturia from uniting Britain under her banner were to blame here. Even though Arturia forgave the rebels, that hadn't stopped Naruto from still distrusting them, so he made sure spies were sent to each of their holds to watch and report.

In a way, Naruto supposed that he had become the 'Shadow' of the King, as some of the people often seemed to refer to him due to their matching armor. Because of this, Naruto had once thought of himself having become similar to Danzo; however, there were several significant differences between himself and the Shinobi of Darkness. For one, he didn't crave power in secret, nor did he constantly plot against those close to him out of fear they may kill him. All Naruto did was to protect the nation, it's people, his friends, and the love of his life. Nothing more, nothing less.

Now after having put down the would-be rebellious lord, Naruto rode up behind Arturia's left side with the rest of the Round Table, minus Kay who stayed behind as regent of the capital in his sister's stead, the scarred knight had taken over much of Ector's duties since his death.

He glanced behind him briefly to see Lancelot's son, the young Galahad riding alongside with Bedivere, having become the latter's squire upon arrival in the capital city.

Even for his age, the boy was not overly tall when compared to some boys his age with cheeks still clinging to some baby fat despite a pointed chin being evident on his face, and his figure was athletic but one remarkably healthy with much room to grow. Pale blonde shaggy hair to the point of being near white, brushed down into a fringe that obscured his left eye, leaving the right golden brown one to be seen. Looking around himself with a look of quiet curiosity and some apprehension showed him off more, the boy's face did not seem to match the garb that he had been dressed in.

Garbed in a tight-fitting black cuirass with purple detailing at the neck and clavicle, the boy also wore it with a purple shoulder cape over his pauldrons with four golden charms hanging by straps at his front and back; quite similar in point of fact to a certain Knight of the Lake's charms. As a squire, he was far less armored on the arms and legs than a true knight instead opting for lightly armored black sleeves and vambraces while tucking dark grey pants into black greaves; lower body obscured by a matching purple kama outlined in gold that hung to his ankles.

Riding a bit closer to Arturia despite it being somewhat out of rank and order, not that Arturia herself minded, Naruto struck up a small conversation with her on their new potential addition to the Round Table, "I have to say, young Galahad has been learning at a fast pace."

Arturia turned ever so slightly as she spoke up, "Indeed, much like a sponge to water. He's been learning everything that has been presented to him." Were there once a time that Arturia smiled as she spoke with Naruto in public, she did not as she continued on, "Perhaps one day he will embody Camelot's ideals… our ideals and hopes for the future of Britain." She had watched the progress of many of the soldiers under her service, though it was Galahad that had caught her eye more so than others with his tenacity and natural-born skill to absorb the teachings of the Round Table members, even Naruto himself with his more unique skills that she had come to learn of in their own training time.

As they came closer to the palace with the populace throwing flowers and various other items of celebration, they had to welcome them home, Mordred was among the people, albeit hiding within an alleyway with a brown cloak concealing her features. She was getting used to her new 'age' after Morgan's latest 'acceleration' to appear that she was fifteen. It had been quite some time since she had seen her 'mother' last met seeing this now was truly a gift. She watched on as the King and the inner circle, the most trusted and recognizable knights came down the main road to the palace, where she saw her 'mother' ride up next to the king. Even though she was enamored at the sight of the king, the shining Armour that chimed like bells, with soft royal blues that stood out, Mordred saw that the both of them were instead… sad… "That's Arthur, the King of Knights…"

Mordred's breath hitched briefly before calming down as she felt the cold hands of Morgan upon her shoulders, "Yes… he is the one you must aim towards striving to become…" The black mist briefly appearing around her sent chills down her spine, though she held back her fear as she turned a bit to see the vial of blood hanging from within a pendant that Morgan wore around her neck. The same pendant worn by Agravain to prevent Naruto from sensing either her malignant presence or the tidal wave of negative emotions she emitted.

Next thing Mordred knew, she was pulled from the streets back further into the alley and into a derelict house by Morgan, "…and now you will join his armies to climb the ranks until you reach his court of knights, just as those who ride with him." Mordred looked down to see that the Dark Fae had conjured up a helmet that went along with the armor that appeared to replace the cloak she was previously wearing.

Like many knights' in Arturia's retinue the armor centered around a central steel cuirass made of brushed silver steel eclipsing most of the chest in a semicircle, but with several key differences in terms of detail. Upon the chest was the red detailing beneath the bevor in the shape of triangles suspended beneath a red arch over a stylized red symbol similar to 'V' in the center of the armored chest. Similarly, the rounded silver pauldrons, a tad more bulbous than most, bore thicker red lines that paired well with the red undergarment that both arms were clad in down to the wrist before being encased in thick steel vambraces of three interlocking arrow-shaped plates. The legs were enshrined in a set of cuisse, polyene, and greaves in silvered steel connected to a pair of sabatons with pointed toes.

However, the most defining feature of the armour hung at the waist. Either side of which were more robust versions of Arturia's oversized defensive tassets, each made by a single smooth metal plate marked by red markings and suspended by a hope skirt-like apparatus at the front allowing for the perfect marriage between defense and movement. Hanging in front of this was a set of five leather strips that dangled to knee level to obscure the center line weak points. All in all, it was an impressive set of armor, even without a helmet.

"You must never remove the helm in the presence of anyone, regardless if they are the king or not," Morgan said as she placed the helm on Mordred's head to conceal her identity. If her sister were to see the puppet's face, then her plans would fall apart. Part of Mordred wanted to simply cast down the armor and run away, to spurn Morgan's orders and never see her again. Still, the damage formed from years of pavlovian conditioning had forced Mordred to accept a depressing yet straightforward fact. Running away would never keep her safe from the pain.

For quite some time now, Morgan had been sowing small seeds of discontent within some of the lords of Britain to dethrone Arturia, although the spies of the vampire that kept watch were beginning to grate on her with how it was stalling things. She would need to take some of them out while simultaneously slipping whispers of falsehood into the ears of the lords to begin a civil war once more. However, these were not the only plans she had laid down, having begun them long before when she started the process for creating Mordred… Britain would be hers, as per her birthright…

Morgan then stared into Mordred's eyes beneath the helm, despite the slits it held to hide her eye color from anyone who might peer too closely, "Earn the king's trust. Gain a place at his side at the Round Table; the Inner Circle, and only then will you have what you desire. Let the people fear you and rejoice in your presence." Morgan faded away into the black mist, it was best not to tempt fate, yet that did not stop her voice from reaching her ears, "Do this for your 'mother', dear sweet little girl of mine." As Morgan left her puppet to be the Trojan Horse, she would need to get in contact with her only useful child in the meantime.

As the witch left Mordred alone in the derelict house, Mordred backed up to the wall as she shook briefly before she tried to reign in control over herself. Mordred hated Morgan; hated her even more when the fae said she was her 'mother'. And while her hate for her rose, the fear of Morgan was even greater, like a looming shadow of pain and misery that rested over her head constantly, promising nothing but the pain should she dare go against her wishes, "Yes… mother…" Mordred let out haggard breaths as she fought to control the fluctuating fear that permeated the air now.

Steadying herself, Mordred headed back to the street where she watched the tail end of the king's procession head into the palace with both dread and excitement. The former due to what Morgan had planned, while in the latter she wished to be nothing but a knight to the king. Ever since Naruto would regale her with stories of himself and the king, she couldn't help but come to admire his majesty, believing the King of Knights to be nothing but perfect.

Nothing more, nothing less.

And then there was Naruto. The one who showered her with love and warmth. Teaching her how to read and write. Playing with her every chance they had together. But the King was sad, deeply sad along with her true mother and the sight of them both so morose made Mordred feel like she had a lot to live up to. She wanted to lift that weight from their shoulders so it could never be tarnished by unhappiness.

Maybe this could be her chance to spend more time with him, like a parent and child bonding once more. She bounced a bit on her feet in excitement at the prospect, "I'm gonna go on adventures, just like you mom…"

* * *

-The Palace Garden-

Later as the evening closed in, Naruto sat on a bench in the garden to mull over the progress of things, primarily his Reality Marble, _"It's nearing completion with 60% of it done. Just the need a few things left to do."_

"**_The introspection of its foundation is set, just need to build it up more so now, which shouldn't be too hard for you."_** Kurama was currently situated next to Naruto's mental representation in the mindscape where they both surveying a stream while the castle took form behind them beyond a forest. However, this was not the final product, with Naruto already having figured out what it was that would be the central keystone of his Reality Marble. What its ultimate representation would be, was-

"**_Looks like you've got yourself a visitor outside."_**

Just as the fox said, someone was making their way towards Naruto as he roused himself to speak with them. Turns out it was the young Galahad who had come to speak with him, "Hey Galahad, how's it going?" Naruto asked as he gestured for the squire to take a seat alongside himself.

"I'm quite fine myself, Sir Naruto," Galahad sat next to him and took a moment to get himself comfortable on the padded bench, "I've been contemplating all of what our nation stands for and what it represents." He gazed out to the edge of the garden as it overlooked a good portion of the city where a park was visible, "Although, I had hoped that perhaps my father would attempt to bond with me." He said with mild disappointment, not wanting to sour what appeared to be a good mood between himself and one of his mentors.

Naruto felt his brows crease a bit in slight disappointment at hearing that. He knew that getting to know a child you never knew you had wasn't easy, but it sounded as if Lancelot wasn't even trying to bond with his son, "Lancelot is… a good knight and a good man, but his past had never really struck me as being a man prepared to be a father." If Naruto's words were meant to encourage Galahad, then they failed, judging by his eyes closing with disappointment. Hearing how your father was a womanizer and tried to hide such a reputation before refusing to get to know his son did not paint a good picture, "But I'm sure he has you in his thoughts and prayers every day. He just..." He took a moment to find the right words, "Just needs to find how to be a father, you know? I know that in his heart, he loves you."

Naruto's words did have some relieving effect as Galahad had but the briefest of smiles before he spoke, "I suppose you're right. I don't think of Lancelot as a good father…" The arcane knight caught the meaning quickly, "…yet I am glad that I was born. I feel as if I truly can carry one the legacy of Camelot into the next generation of knights."

Galahad felt a pat on the back as Naruto smiled at his words, "Well then, I'm glad that you have a positive outlook here in Camelot."

As the sun began to set, Galahad had gone back to his studies to leave Naruto to go see how their new recruits were doing under his old man's training regime. He studied each of the recruits to see who else could rise to the same level of a caliber, both in mind and body to that of the Round Table, although there was one set of armor that caught his attention, being a horned helm that concealed their entire head from view.

This was curious.

Deciding to stay behind, Naruto sought to see just who was under that helm, although as he came down to the training yards, the familiar smell of his Little Mo came to mind. So, Morgan once again took years of her childhood away? Damn that black fae whore…

As the training session came to an end, Naruto and his Little Mo remained although it seemed that the latter tried to feign ignorance as to his identity, "Mi lord…" Mordred spoke with a deeper voice, most likely in trying to mask her feminine tone although Naruto noted that it wasn't all that great an attempt, not that she needed it, unlike Arturia, "…I…"

Naruto held up a hand to stop Mordred from continuing on with the charade, "I think we both know that you don't need to try and hide yourself from me of all people…" He spoke with a knowing tone as he stepped closer to Mordred as she held her training sword down, "…my Little Mo." Mordred visibly deflated a bit at that nickname he held for his little girl, "Oh, come on, it's not that bad."

The slight teasing made the young girl redden her cheeks in embarrassment, though Naruto didn't need to see it to know of her reaction, "I'm not little! Not anymore!" She quickly put down that outburst as to not show any prior connection between them to try and appear as someone new to the army, "…I joined up because well, I wanted to be like you and the king, mom. Seeing the king march through the city, his visage was… perfect…" Awe laced in her tone.

Although the apostle could only smile at her words with joy in his heart, he was somewhat concerned with how Mordred's tone shifted, "Well, I'm glad my stories inspired you to join up." He gave a brief look over Mordred's armor to see that it was more of a fear-inspiring set, as opposed to something more noble or elegant compared to the rest of the knights that decided on personalized armor sets, "But I did see the power and speed in your swings, you should take it easy. We're not going to war anytime soon."

"But, I know about the Roman Empire trying to rebuild itself in Europa!" Mordred exclaimed, "I want to serve the king! I want to…" She looked down to her feet before she breathed in deeply before she began speaking once again, "…I want to be like you and the king. If I can do something that neither of you can, then I'll do it."

Naruto could hear the commitment in her voice, wanting to become a part of the kingdom, to care for its betterment and interests. He motioned for her to follow him out of sight nearby. For some time now, he and Arturia had hit a bit of a rough spot in their relationship, with governance taking precedence over personal matters. They weren't drifting apart, instead the cold shoulder was being given to him, though he didn't let that deter him. Now though as Mordred became a part of their army, and if he could help her rise to the Round Table… maybe… just maybe… he could bring Arturia back to more personal matters to showcase that they had a daughter alongside them.

'**_Not a bad idea honestly.'_** Kurama noted through the mental link they shared, **_'You know, if this is some scheme of Morgan's, taking the mini-king away would be a big blow to her.'_**

'_Ever the tactician you are.'_

'**_And make things better between you and Turi.'_** Kurama's nickname for Arturia of course.

Granted, Mordred may not be entirely natural, yet she still held the best qualities of the both of them, "I believe you can, Mordred." He said her true name with pride, something she caught, "And I will do everything I can to help make that happen. But ultimately…." He grasped the helm she wore as he took it off to see that she had indeed aged as he believed and feared, to the same age as Arturia herself, practically a mirror image of Arturia save for her whisker birthmarks and more wild hair, "…I am proud that you chose to follow a noble path and life." He grasped her head to bring her closer and placed a kiss on her forehead as he ruffled her hair, "My brave, sweet little girl."

For Mordred, those words made her heart jump in joy. It made her feel like she was loved and cared for by a real parent who gave a damn. A parent that didn't use fear to drive. Hearing it from Naruto meant so much more than Morgan, she let her sword drop as she pulled Naruto into a hug that surprised him briefly before he returned the loving gesture. The two simply settled into a slight sway before they left to their own quarters in the city.

* * *

-Late Evening-

The day had come to an end in a relatively succinct fashion bereft of drama, pomp or circumstance after Naruto had seen to it that Mordred was settled in the barracks in a private room, regardless of the whiskered girl's grumblings about not wanting to be treated differently. It was an effort to keep her concealed until he was able to bring up to Arturia the subject of kids because plopping a physically eighteen-year-old girl in front of your partner with no groundwork was likely to get his face smashed in. It was why he currently rested above the covers of their shared bed in nothing more than a pair of shorts and a cheesecloth shirt.

He wanted to have a simple and quiet night in with the woman that he loved without any interruptions. The serenity of the moment was ruined by the sound of a quill scratching across the parchment, causing Naruto's features to sour as it's meaning was apparent even before he turned his gaze to the window. Arturia, garbed in a white cotton nightdress and her hair loose from its trademark bun, was scribbling away on a figurative mountain of paperwork that she had brought with her from the latest meeting. Her vibrant green eyes held bags under them from what would have been a week of sleepless nights since the return to the capital.

Naruto sighed at the actions, pinching the bridge of his nose before rising from the bed and making his way over to the King, musing on what had brought all of this on. Since the latest rebellion had been summerly quashed by the might of the Round Table, Arturia began to cast doubt on her managerial skill as a king and been taking paperwork to bed regardless of Naruto's statements for her mental health. "That's enough for one night, Arturia," Naruto said, his arms encircling Arturia from behind and resting his chin atop her thatch of golden tresses, "You're dead on your feet and need a good night's rest, come to bed."

"No," she replied simply, her writing only ceasing for a moment to dip into the inkwell again, "I'll come to bed when the work is done." A streak of stubbornness in her words might have made Naruto chuckle on any other night, but right now his lover needed her rest. With a deft movement that was a blur to the King, her quill was removed from her hands, and the inkwell tossed out of the window to splatter some poor night guard patrolling down on one of the keep's lesser battlements. "What in the- Naruto!" she turned in her seat to see the red-eyed blonde storing the quill in the bedside table, "What is the meaning of this?"

The blonde in question did not respond at first because he was being sure that the draw was alchemically sealed shut to prevent the quill from being retrieved, turning to the disgruntled king with a no-nonsense stare before replying. "The meaning is telling you to go to bed before you work yourself into an early grave because this has gone on for a week now and I'm beginning to worry that you forget that fae protection or not you're still a human being that needs rest and relaxation," Naruto said in a no-nonsense tone, arms crossed.

"I can relax whenever I want to, right now I need to get my work done or else it will continue to pile up and satisfy the people." She went on quietly, "The more things that I can't do means that the people are not being served and thus I am not doing my job as the King, why else would Lords continue to rise in rebellion?" The petite beauty questioned in reply as she walked up to the taller apostle, "Perfection, I need to strive to be the perfect monarch or else all of this will come crumbling down, and I can't rest until the work is finished, do you understand."

Naruto actively facepalmed at the spitfire, locking eyes with his lover, not letting the point drop. "What I understand, Arturia, is that I haven't seen you smile since the Grand Tourney several months ago! You're pushing yourself too far with no rest, and it's making you ill, and I will not stand by as the woman that I love runs to her doom for something as silly as paperwork." The male blonde was quickly becoming irate but what was said next would forever be etched in his mind.

Arturia gnashed her teeth in discontent before rounding on Naruto with a pointed stare, "I will not permit myself something as frivolous as love until Britain is well and truly saved!" She shouted at him, the words echoing off the walls of the room like the tolling of the evening bell. She regretted the words the moment they left her lips because she didn't truly mean them, not really, they were the product of months of managerial pressure building atop the prophetic vision in her dream, a need to correct whatever the phantom perceived as the 'flaw in herself.'

But they had been said now, vapid and untrue as she thought of them, they could not be taken back, and already she could see the myriad of feelings dance in Naruto's eyes. She had compared their love to a frivolity like some kind of temporary fun. "Naruto... I didn't mean to..." she struggled to get the words out as she reached for him, green eyes despairing when the blonde began to turn away.

"It's fine, my King..." Naruto replied, hair shadowing his ruby gaze. Now more than any other time that Arturia had known the apostle she caught a glimpse of what Naruto was before she had met him, a world-weary immortal unsure of what to believe in anymore. "I... perhaps you should rest alone tonight to clear your head." The scion of Uzumaki turned on his heel slowly before woodenly walking to the bedroom door, Arturia's hand reaching for that retreating form yet never quite reaching until the door closed behind him. The room was quiet again with nothing to hear but the muted snuffles of a woman trying desperately not to break, only when she was sure that Naruto's footsteps had retreated entirely did she permit herself to bawl.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" She said between tears of self-loathing that continued to beat down her cheeks no matter how hard she tried to stop them. Throwing herself onto the bed, Arturia buried her face into her pillow and cried herself to sleep, not because she deserved it but because she had for but a moment made the man she loved with all her heart feel worthless. "I will make things right, I have to make things right, I'm going to make things right!" She repeated like a mantra regardless of her steadily wetting pillow, letting loose emotion that had been hidden for far too long. The path to Kingship and love was walled by thorns and in her lonesome did she finally contemplate just what not addressing such wounds to the heart could do.

"I will make this kingdom perfect, so I can spend the rest of my life loving you…"

Several floors below in an otherwise empty hallway, Naruto walked in complete silence with none around to hear his bare feet against padding slowly on the stone flag floor with a bland face. Coming to a stop in front of a seemingly blank stretch of the marble wall and turning to face it, the blonde's fist surged forwards with little warning to punch the wall, cratering it under the superhuman strike. Spiderweb cracks splintered outwards from the point of impact while Naruto kept his fist buried amongst the newly formed crags with a maintained neutral face.

_**'She didn't mean it, you know that, right?' **_Kurama asked after a few moments of silence from the blonde, having sensed that while Arturia's words might have been caused by frustration, they had no heat behind them and regretted the moment they had been spoken.

Naruto sighed before pulling his fist from the wall with a swift yank and idly made a mental note to talk to the masons tomorrow to get it repaired, looking down at his hand that was undamaged beyond a minor scuff on the knuckle. "I know." He replied, watching the scrape heal to nothingness as a combination of his healing factor and Gaia's temporal regression worked at it, "She's had a rough week and a good night's rest will make her right as rain." Naruto's words were almost hollow in their intonation because while he was perfectly aware that Arturia hadn't meant it, they still stung coming from the lips of the woman he loved.

Within the mindscape, Kurama used his humanlike hands to massage his temples in melancholic nostalgia, _**'You know your parents got into a lot of arguments when Kushina was pregnant with you right?' **_he asked rhetorically before continuing. **_'Love is a prickly thing that I doubt I'll ever truly understand as you humans do but from what I have seen arguments like this do happen from time to time, and it's best to accept that for every argument that is eventually resolved your relationship is stronger for it.'_**

Naruto allowed himself a few minutes to gather his thoughts, setting off down the hall again and entering into the area of the central keep reserved for servants and castle staff in hopes of starting on a potential breakfast to smooth things over in the morning. "I guess, she just needs to slow down and enjoy life before she chains up her emotions behind this 'wall' of duty," he concluded.

Kurama nodded sagely at that, emotional suppression in the name of an ideal was a slippery slope that quickly led to an unenviable end if not corrected, look at Danzo's root, forced to murder their closest friends and family to kill their emotions. It would be up to Naruto to guide Arturia by hand if needed aw-

Naruto stopped becoming as still as a statue, his nose catching something on the air that was not meant to be in this part of the castle. It cut through the ambient musk of cooking and cleaning products that would usually be found in the staff section of the castle, tangy like iron with an underlying sweat of greasy hair. '_Agravain,'_ he thought, recognizing the scent of the Knight of the Round Table who even amongst his peers had a very particular smell. _'What the fuck is Agravain doing in this part of the castle after sundown? His quarters are on the other side of the castle.' _

_**'Getting food? Wouldn't be the first time one of the knights saw fit to raid the pantry for an evening snack.' **_Kurama suggested, though his instincts like Naruto were very much telling him that something was off here. Agravain had a very particular opinion of serving staff and peasants, namely that he thought of them as dirt under his boots and if he wanted something from the staff, it would be brought to him in his room. _**'Begs the question, what could be so important that he needed to take care of it himself?'**_ The fox asked suspiciously, Naruto withdrawing Carnwennan from his waistband and intoning its name in a hushed voice.

A pulse of power and Naruto began to sink down into the shadows of the hallway cast by flickering torchlight, travelling through the umbral realm of shadows for utmost stealth where the only mark on the real world was an irregular shadow masked by the darkness of evening. Silently he followed his senses through the labyrinthine hallways towards where Agravain's scent grew stronger, eventually finding his way into the laundry section where his hidden eyes lay upon the Black Iron. He was garbed in his armor and blue mantle even at this late hour and talking in a hushed tone to one of the chambermaids.

"As you requested, Mi lord, but this is most strange." The chambermaid said in an unsure tone, handing the Knight a bundle of blue and white cloth from behind her, eyes unsure beneath her white cloth bonnet. "But-"

"But nothing, peasant." Agravain cut off the woman's arguments while storing the bundle under his arm, his severe eyes almost glaring down at the diminutive woman, a looming giant clad in imposing armor. "Now tell me exactly what you are going to do?" He asked his words more a statement than a question.

The chambermaid gulped audibly and shook a little before nodding to herself, taking a deep breath to steel herself in the face of Agravain's aggressive demeanor, "An hour before sunrise I am to take my cart on a scenic route of the castle where you will drop off the King's clothes, and I am to continue on my way. I will not touch the clothing in any way, then I will return to my room and resume my work." She said, doing her best not to wilt under Agravain's look.

Within the realm of shadows Naruto's eyes narrowed on the pair, feeling fear and apprehension from the woman and a void of emotion from the lank-haired knight, his suspicions had just jumped up by several orders of magnitude. '_What is Agravain doing with Arturia's clothes?' _he mentally questioned with a frown, watching as Agravain slipped the woman a small sack of what sounded like gold coins.

_**'Nothing good.' **_Kurama replied seriously, watching through Naruto's senses to see any more indicators of what was going on with the secretary of the round table, _**'Best follow him from the shadows for now and see where he leads us.' **_He suggested, drawing a mental nod from Naruto in response. When Agravain swept down the hall with purpose the blob of shadow that Naruto dwelled within slipped from the wall to join up with Agravain's own shadow to follow him to where the suspicious man intended to go. All the while, Naruto and Kurama discussed the potential meanings of this action and what they were going to do should the revelation of truth prove to be truly wanting.

To say that it wouldn't end well for Agravain was an understatement.

He traveled along in silent travel for some half an hour as Agravain traversed the palace, mentally concluding that the path was one that Agravain took to avoid being noticed as it avoided nearly all populated areas. Descending a steep flight of steps into the cold earth that formed Camelot's foundation brought them to a featureless stone corridor ended by a thickly barred steel door at its end, Agravain withdrawing a heavy key from within his mantle and using it. The clank of well-oiled tumblers and bolts sliding within the lock heralded the door swinging open, Agravin briskly closing the door behind him and relocking it once he had entered, tossing the clothes onto a workbench. So focused on his personal rituals did he not notice the blob of shadow detaching from him to merge with the gloom of the corner, nor the red eyes that watched his movements like a hawk.

Taking a look around told Naruto all he needed to know about what this place was, Agravain's personal torture chamber which he used to extract information from potential threats to the kingdom. It was a blight upon the perceived perfection of Arturia's rule but existed as the same necessary evil where Naruto dwelled. Yet, the sight of thumbscrews, pairs of anguish and even a rack propped against the wall made him apprehensive of what the other man indulged in for fun. Setting that morose thought aside for the time being, Naruto watched as Agravain unfurled what the blonde recognized as Arturia's royal blue battle dress, which last he had seen was handed over to the laundry staff to clean for tomorrow.

Setting the dress down, Agravain walked to a shelf of cutting implements and made incisions along the lining of the arms, chest and hem let an expert surgeon or seamstress before making his way over to the other side of the room. Pulling out a brick to reveal a strongbox hidden within the wall which he retrieved, Agravain extracted a series of greyish silver chains interwoven with several hypodermic needles connected to glass vials of some kind of green viscous liquid. With a gentleness that Naruto wasn't aware Agravain even had, the chains were slowly slid within the incisions into the stitching and slowly fed through the lining of the dress until they were totally invisible to the naked eye. Sewing the incisions shut completed the look, and Agravain folded the dress once more into its bundle before leaving the room.

When he was sure that Agravain was long outside of earshot and away from the torture chamber, Naruto emerged from the shadow as a silent wraith, his bare feet making Nary a sound when crossing the stone flags. The apostle picked up the dress and scrutinized it, the only signs of tampering being the very tips of the needles poking inwards from the dress. "What are you up to Agravain?" he asked in a whisper before using structural analysis.

He just about nearly screamed.

Red eyes steadily grew wider in abject unadulterated **_FURY_** as the mental gridwork of the most basic of magecraft skills washed over the dress of the woman he loved and came to understand just what barbarism Agravain intended. Laced through the lining of the dress were cold iron chains arranged in such a way to not be felt yet let their power aggravate the conceptual allergy of Fae blessings, leaving Artoria undefended from the piercing of the needles which had been smeared in an anesthetic to not be felt. Within each vial was a highly distilled form of what Naruto recognized from his studies as hydra venom, perhaps the single most potent venom in the supernatural world, hundreds of thousands of times more potent than Botchilum H.

Kurama openly snarled from the results of the structural analysis, _**'If Arturia puts on this dress she will be stripped of her fae protection and dosed up with enough hydra venom to fell a Dragon before she gets four steps from the room and wouldn't even know she's been poisoned!' **_The Tailed Beast raged. However, his mighty anger was but a pilot light next to the quasar of rage pouring off of Naruto. Unconsciously the blonde muttered a divine word to reduce the dress and its nasty surprise to cinders in less than a second. Agravain intended to murder his King, and Naruto was going to find out why.

An hour later saw the black-haired man return to the chamber to look over some paperwork though no sooner had the door closed behind him did he feel the edge of a mithril blade pressed into his neck. Staying perfectly lest he finds himself with a slit throat, Agravain watched as slowly spiky blonde hair and whiskered cheeks pushed into his peripheral vision but was taken aback by the eyes. Red eyes that usually shone with happiness and amusement were full of such vitriolic anger and hate that they emitted light that was scolding to look at, and these eyes looked into him. It was only decades of witnessing his mother's heinous experiments that gave him enough steel to not let his apprehension and fear show.

"Good evening, Agravain," Naruto said, voice a void of anything yet burning with a supernova of quiet rage, "Have a pleasant walk? No? How bad for you because your evening is about to get a lot worse."

Agravain swallowed stiffly, feeling the blade chafe his Adam's apple, "What are you doing, apostle, you know it is treason to threaten your fellow knights? The King will have your guts for garters!"

Naruto's face did not change at the frankly pathetic attempt of intimidation, had he wanted he could have killed Agravain the moment the knight walked in, the only reason Naruto hadn't yet was that he needed answers. "So's plotting regicide," he replied before viciously backhanding Agravain across the room, slamming into the distant stone wall with enough force to leave a dent. Agravain let out a grunt of pain, but that was all he was able to do before Naruto was upon him with an enraged stamp. The matte black cuirass buckled like paper mache under the force of the blow making Agravain let out a winded gasp before Naruto dragged him up by his lank black hair to send his knee crashing into his nose. Blood splattered against the floor and wall from the wet crunch, the dazed Agravain too dazed to be aware that Naruto had dug his fingers into the steel of his armor to tear it asunder.

By the time he became cognizant enough to take in his surroundings properly again, he had been stripped down to his undergarments and tied to a chair. Naruto towered over him, face hidden in shadow save for those angry glowing eyes that looked stared down at him imperiously. Lethargically drawing the mithril blade up before plunging it into Agravain's thigh with such force that the son of Morgan wasn't aware of the pain until a moment later, which was of course so blinding that he let out his first real call of distress. Naruto left the blade to sit in the leg as rivulets of blood welled up from the new wound and trailed down Agravain's leg and across the floor.

Panting a few times to overcome the pain, Agravain did his best to school his features and looked up definitely at Naruto which was somewhat impressive given his clearly broken nose. "If you intend to kill me, then get it over with, I have nothing to gain from talking to you, Parasite!" he barked hoarsely, insulting Naruto while he was at it, though all he could see in this darkness was a shift in Naruto's glowing red eyes.

"Were it only so easy," Naruto replied gravely before beginning a summary beating upon the bleeding man, his fists harder than any steel rattling bones and bursting blood vessels as they rained down blow after blow upon Agravain's well-built body. "I'm going to keep hitting until you give me the answers I'm looking for, if you should die along the way then I'm going to jumpstart your heart and carry on till you start talking," he said dispassionately. At the same time, blood and saliva ran down from Agravain's busted lips, which even now attempted to twist into a morose smirk.

"Ish you kill me...den…" Agravain slurred through a swelling face, cold eyes still looking up at Naruto, "Camelot will be dusht...wisin a week!" he chuckled to himself, blood-stained shirt now clinging to his chest. In fact, so close did his shirt cling to his chest that Naruto was able to make out the beginnings of lines underneath. Curious, Naruto tore Agravain's shirt from his body and threw it into the corner of the room, revealing an intricate series of script lining his chest and abdomen. A vein pulsed angrily in both of Naruto's temples upon recognizing that infernal black speech of Morgan crisscrossing the morose knight's chest, in his mind pieces finally falling into place.

"_Ley Fey!" _Naruto seethed in a toxic miasma of rage, tempted to rip Carnwennan from Agravain's thigh and slit his throat then and there, it all made sense now. Pile up work upon Arturia to the point of exhaustion before slipping in the poison dress that the king would be too tired to notice, stripping her of her power and poisoning her in one fell swoop. Taking a step back to look at the line in more detail regardless of the headache they gave him, Naruto was about able to make out that they appeared to be mottled on Geis of some kind. "What are these Geis linked to, talk!"

The blonde continued his assault on the revealed agent of their enemy, a far cry from the jovial man that had hugged his daughter this morning, replaced instead by a postulating ball of toxic anger in the shape of a man. A cracked sternum finally coaxed Agravain enough to answer, they were life link Geis linking him to over one hundred of Camelot's bannermen in charge of providing money, crops and a flow of other things necessary to the kingdom as well as members of potential rebellious factions. Morgan had deliberately not told her son to whom he was linked only that should he die then the pillars of support for Camelot's prosperity would perish along with him and rebellion would be sparked all over the country.

It was a devious plan because it meant that should he live after being discovered he could quite smoothly run Camelot into the ground but should he die then it would become a certainty. _**'Why not turn this weapon against the whore?' **_Kurama asked from within, _**'Think about it, he likely knows the ins and outs of Morgan's entire operation, and if we can guarantee his loyalty then Camelot can put Agravain to work making the capital more stable while we pick off or replace those he is life liked to!'**_ It was rare for the fox to be the voice of reason in favor of bloodshed. Truth be told he was inclined to pop Agravain's head like a grape had the situation been any different.

Naruto growled, at both himself and the bleeding man before him, '_So what? I doubt we can bind him to our own Geis contract, who knows how many booby traps Morgan has hidden in this damn black speech!'_

Kurama pondered for a moment before letting out a truly weary sigh for what he was about to suggest, _**'Use your mystic eyes on the deepest level of the subconscious.' **_Naruto could tell Kurama's words were filled with distaste, memories of Madara bewitching him with his eyes likely to the fore of his mind. _**'Smash right down to the deepest layer of his mind and plant a mandate of loyalty to the crown and kingdom, it's not a perfect solution, but until Le Fey is dead, it's all I can come up with.'**_

Naruto had to relent to the fox's point. The location of Morgan's lair had eluded him for so long, and now he had a prime source of information. Not just that, but Agravain's secretary skills were invaluable; without him, the infrastructure of Camelot would collapse within a matter of months, perhaps even less so. How frustrating to have an enemy in front of you that you could not kill, "Do you know what the main objective of torture is, Agravain? It's not to extract information, it's not even to cause a painful death. No, it's how to cause the maximum amount of pain for the minimal amount of damage."

Naruto gripped Carnwennan, still buried in Agravain's leg, and sent a pulse of Mana into the blade. Agravain watched in genuine fear as black began to leak out from and trace its way through his veins and arteries, agonizingly filling his body with an encroaching cold fire that leaked into his nervous system. "The Gáe Bolg was a spear said to ram itself through every highway and byway of the body as an infinite number of painful barbs, tearing up the body from within." Naruto explained, maintaining eye contact with the black eyes of Agravain the whole time to watch the man's mental fortitude begin to fray from the pain. "I'm doing the same right now with shadows, first with your veins and arteries, then your nervous system before finally reaching your organs... but I'm healing the damage as fast as it happens. Final question Agravain, how long do you think it will take before they reach your brain stem?"

Agravain did not reply to the words spoken coldly to him, his mental processes doing their absolute best to deal with the exquisitely unique pain of his body being slowly torn apart and sewn back together. He was breaking out into a cold sweat as the shadows began to prod his nerves like knives scraping at the back of his mind. He was struggling to find the right word for this emotion for he had not sensed it in so long that he had long since forgotten it, fear. He was used to pain and had long since ascribed to his mother's rhetoric that it was merely weakness leaving the body, but this lethargic torture was something so perversely invasive that soon enough he began to panic. By the time it had subsumed his aorta and began to scythe through his alveoli and the bronchial system, he was almost whimpering.

"Come on Agravain, where's all that bravado from earlier? What did you call me, oh yes, a parasite? Well, I suppose what you're feeling right now must be pretty close to having a nasty little parasite." Naruto slapped Agravain's now pale face, bringing attention to his red eyes, "Crawling up and up to where you live in that skull of yours, ready to gnaw away what makes you _you_… how sad, if this goes on any longer, I doubt you'll have the mental faculties to be able to even remember your own name." he continued before finally he saw a chink in the mental fortitude.

Red eyes glowed, and Mystic Eyes of Enchantment smashed into Agravain's mind like a falling star, pushing through years of mental conditioning like water rushing through a cracked dam, eventually coming to ensnare the man's deepest subconscious. **_"You will strive to help create the perfect kingdom and remain loyal to the crown," _**he instructed, placing the command that would come to define Agravain's life from here on out. Agravain went limp in the chair and stared at the floor for a time as Naruto withdrew the shadows and healed the damage done to his body. "Tell me everything you know about Morgan's lair" Naruto spoke when the once again fresh-faced knight looked up at him. Despite Naruto's own misgivings at acting in such a way, he would not allow any harm to come to his love or the nation he helped create.

* * *

-The Next Day; Hall of the Round Table-

Despite having extracted the location of Morgan's lair from Agravain, Naruto had not pushed much further while the edict was still taking hold, yet Naruto would not discount the advantage they now had. Arturia, whose eyes were still a little red from her tears the previous night, forewent her usual dress in favor of the cataphract armor of the Lion King after her regular dress had not been delivered by the chambermaid when she had awoken. She looked longingly at Naruto but intended to apologize after the meeting, yet not knowing what Naruto was about to bring about.

"Alright so, I've been meaning to bring this up but, we should discuss bringing up who to fill in the remaining seats of the Round Table." Kay began the meeting this time as he gestured around them to the two remaining seats that would seat knights at the table. Thus far they were all of sound minds and skills to make it such a prestigious honor, yet it felt as if they did not have enough senior members to lead the army in battle should the threat of Tiberius rise up.

Arturia hummed in knowing that their ranks were swelling with excellent knights with good potential. However, "If there are any among our knights that are believed to be of such esteem and skill, then they will need recommendations from our inner circle." By doing this, it would ensure that people of similar skill and ideals would help shape the future of Camelot. She looked over to Naruto who appeared to have something on his mind, as did Agravain; as such, she gestured for them to speak, "Naruto, Sir Agravain, I'm certain that the two of you have something to bring up?"

Both addressed men stood up as Naruto spoke, "Yes, Agravain and I were able to finally determine where Morgan's lair is located." The bomb had been dropped as everyone's eyes shot up in astonishment.

As for Arturia, she quickly responded, "Good, then we finally put my sister's madness to an end." She gazed around to each of the seated members of the round table with determination in her eyes, "I want everyone here to make ready for battle. You all should take care, train, and relax before then. I will not have a single one of you sacrifice your lives for this mission, but we can finally end the darkness that threatens our great nation and land."

"YES, MY KING!" Was the resounding response from everyone, perhaps even more so from her niece and nephews to no surprise. They too yearned to be free from Morgan's shadow that stained the land of Britain.

* * *

-Elsewhere-

In another part of Britain, a woman of fair form was preaching before a large gathering of a crowd in a village far to the west of Camelot, isolated for most of their lives from the outside. Yet, they knew of the events that took place within their country with their good King Arthur, "And I say to you all, that our good King Arthur, is not a man, but a Holy Dragon, sent to us by the almighty himself and blessed by the fae!" The woman exclaimed as many of the people around her cheered as she continued on, "The king is our saviour and leader! Even if death should take them, 'tis nothing more than an inconvenience to the king. For they shall rise both mind, body and soul and all shall rejoice at the eternal kingdom for our people!"

"Here, here!"

"Praise the king!"

"Long may he reign!"

And with that, the woman left the villagers who began to worship the king… all to her design…

The woman ventured into the forest as black mist swirled around her to reveal herself as Morgan to no one but herself, as she vanished soon after from the area only to reappear in her workshop where she found one of her servants waiting for her, **"My Mistress…"** The voice spoke with a hollow, metallic tone that reverberated as if they were not truly there… something dark and inhuman, **"…why do you spread the worship of your enemy? Your sister is the enemy, yet you wish for your future subjects to worship her?"** Confusion was within her thrall's tone, so she decided to amuse herself for a bit.

"All I merely wish to do is prepare for any eventuality that Mordred may not be as useful to me as I previously thought. Thus I have decided to ensure that our family line will continue on through the centuries to come. For many puppets to be born for me to use at my leisure," Morgan spoke as she walked about towards her collection of various artefacts, most notably the vials of blood she procured from Vortigern's fortress that were filled with Arturia's blood.

"I cannot ignore the miracle birth of my sister, and I had hoped to use her as ruling from the shadows is far greater a power than ruling from the throne." Twirling one of the vials around her fingers, she knew that this would likely be a long-term plan, yet she believed that it would pay off in the end, "Besides, I want our family line of Pendragon to persist through the ages, any ruler worth their strength and power should know to have a prosperous family…" Morgan spoke with dark humor, "…not only that, the vampire, nor anyone else will see my next puppet's creation coming."

* * *

_Musings of a Wizard Marshal_

_By K.Z.S._

_Fuck the Fae._

_Say it with me, fuck the Fae, pointy-eared little shits the lot of them running around smelling their own farts and telling everyone it smells like roses. Okay, minor venting on my part done but you would not believe how much of a multiversal constant Fae dickishness actually is. The mundanes have it in their minds that fairies, Fae, the fair folk or whatever you wish to call them are these benevolent magic sprites that enlighten whatever area they enter with mystery and wonder and for the most part they might be right. But that does not mean that they are without their rouge elements, I mean before [REDACTED] rose to the position of Modern Magecraft Theories Lord, his predecessor had his heart stolen by a Fae for no other reason than amusement at watching what the good doctor would do from then on._

_And that is AFTER Oberon and Titania brought them together in a singular court in Avalon, how Shakespeare was able to meet them is so far beyond me that I am half tempted to jump timelines just to watch it happen. Alas, long before Brutus of Troy incapacitated the Gogmagog of primeval Britain the Fae were far more open in their torment of humanity, the darker Pendragon daughter inherited this sin of the Fae that became forever known as Britain's Primordial Curse, and we all know how that one turned out._

_Though I suppose I would be remiss not to compliment their truly magnanimous ability to craft Divine Constructs, Avalon -the sheath, not the place- is truly one of the most fabulous magical constructs ever forged. I doubt Vivien will ever grace the current world with such an object ever again... however, I don't know how Naruto would take to ever meeting the Lady of the Lake again, after all, while Vivian sees Naruto as her younger brother…_

_What she did to young Bedivere is a sin that is not easily forgiven..._

* * *

**Damn, this took a little longer than expected, but it's finished. Anyways, this site no longer sends notifications about receiving any PM's so please do check your inbox's for messages, as I do try to respond to every one of my reviewers if I get the chance.**

**So, only 3 more chapters left to go for "The Legend of Camelot" act, before we move onto the second act "Through the Ages" and we get to the third act that we all know and love "Fate/Zero". But this it doesn't mean the story will end there, but rather it will go beyond that, though I don't want to spoil everything, just know that things will certain get very fun, exciting and different from the canon that we know the main Fate timelines, so it will be going off the rails.**

**The next chapter definitely will have some Tolkien-inspired stuff within it, so I hope you guys will enjoy it.**

**Also, is anyone well versed with characters of Dragon Age? Please PM me.**

**Anyways, please be sure to let me know what you guys liked and/or disliked about the new chapter and continue to read, review, favorite and follow this story as well as my others that I have up on my profile. The next story that's due for an update is my Resident Evil one, "The X-virus" and it has been put off for a while to allow the remakes to enter the public and allow me time to revise and re-edit my synopsis for the Raccoon City arc.**

**1) **** It is strongly hinted by dialogue from Tristan during FGO's SERAPH event that Meltryllis of the Sakura 5 bears a striking resemblance to Iseult**

**2) ****Behold my one shameless Monty Python reference and despair!**

**3) ****Wynebgwrthucher is the name of one of King Arthur's shields, different from Prydwen as this shield was apparently used to subdue Cath Palug at some point, it is hinted in Fate/Strange Fake that it may be in the possession of Richard the Lionheart.**

**Until next time ;) !**


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